UHF MILSATCOM Demand Assignment One Layer versus Two Layer

This Paper addresses two alternative approaches for demand assignment for UHF military satellite communications (MILSATCOM). The first approach uses two layers of protocol. The top layer is a menu-driven time-division multiple access (TDMA)/demand-assigned multiple access (DAMA) system with an automated controller. The second layer consists of two fixed slot assignments for networks with their own demand assignment protocols--the second layer. The alternative approach is to use the top-layer menu-driven TDMA/DAMA protocol with an automated controller as the single layer of demand assignment. That is, the users previously in the second layer compete with all the other users on the same basis. The objective of this paper is to compare the two alternatives for typical traffic expected for Navy users and to characterize the reasons for efficiency limitations and blockage modes.