The ability to provide services in military radio networks: a feasibility study

A tactical multi-hop ad hoc radio network is assessed in terms of the ability to fulfill different services in different situations. The wireless network we have in mind consists of many units, or radio terminals, and is independent of any fixed communications infrastructure. The particular test case we model and investigate is a radio network for a Swedish mechanized battalion. To model the propagation in terrain we use a multiple edge diffraction model and a digitized terrain model. Each radio terminal consists of adaptive capable wideband radio equipment and uses an omni-directional antenna. The three type of services we consider are: situation awareness data, group calls and data base retrievals. We consider using the 450 MHz or the 2 GHz frequency band. For these frequency bands different terrain and networks are tested. The size of the area that the units are moving in, and how they are spread out in this area is varied.