Integrated Data Transport System (IDTS)

An integrated data transport system (IDTS) is emerging from independent research and development jointly funded by the GTE and ITT corporations, and evolving through supporting technical interchange with the US Army. The system is based upon the application of nondevelopment item (NDI) products, and addresses the current needs of increased battlefield data communications and situational awareness to combat commanders at all levels. The IDTS integrates the mobile subscriber equipment (MSE) packet network (MPN) with the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) data system to extend the Army's tactical packet network (TPN) throughout the battlefield. In addition to the data distribution capabilities, IDTS provides position and location information for SINCGARS users based on the Global Positioning System (GPS). The capabilities of IDTS are as follows: automatic, transparent data transfer among TPN and SINCGARS users; delivery of high priority, perishable data in less than four seconds; up to 6 kbps throughput; multiple addressing scheme on the SINCGARS data nets for efficient use of bandwidth; real-time situation awareness via GPS data; secure communications; and integrated network management providing a subset of the ISYSCON functions. The authors provide an overview of the IDTS architecture, define the operational requirements upon which that architecture is based, and summarize the results of system analyses, simulation, and demonstrations.<>