Airborne Networking Component Architecture and Simulation Environment (AN-CASE)

The USAF has identified significant emerging networks comprised of dynamic, heterogeneous terrestrial, airborne, and spaced-based sub-networks and nodes; some links are multi-directional, variable in performance, and inherently unstable. The design, optimization, and management of such diverse networks requires an integrated Modeling and Simulation (M&S) environment, that from concept through deployment provides the user a means of decision making, optimization, and performance tradeoff capabilities transcending legacy networks into the future. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is developing a Modeling and Simulation (M&S) environment supporting all facets of Airborne Network research, development, employment and analysis within the context of realistic military operations. A flexible M&S environment is needed to test proposed technologies against realistic mission scenarios in order to: a) validate architectures and topologies; b) assess protocols and solutions; c) benchmark product performance and capabilities and d) investigate the effects of changing CONOPS on mission effectiveness. Traditionally, communications and mission domain simulations have been independently employed, leading to incomplete understanding of communications effects versus mission-level effects and their inter-dependencies. The AN-CASE M&S framework allows not only the creation and testing of scenarios, but also provide a means for diving into the technologies, protocols, and management of networked systems and assessing their impact on overall mission effectiveness. Mission-level simulation is used to generate realistic battlefield traffic patterns and loading, while airborne network simulations are used to resolve battlespace communications.