The application of advanced communications technology to the Air Force Satellite Control Network

The authors address how planners of the communications architecture for the US Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) are taking advantage of communications technology advancement opportunities for improving network performance and reducing operating costs. These opportunities include the time-tagging and packetizing of satellite telemetry, commands, secure voice, and ground station status and control information for transmission throughout the network. These methods could increase the use of commercial and military networks and enhance capabilities. However, planners face difficult choices in deciding among numerous emerging technologies. Frame relay, BISDN (broadband integrated services digital network), SMDS (switched multimegabit data service), and SONET (synchronous optical network) are among items under consideration for helping to meet future communications capacity needs of the AFSCN