Enhanced unattended ground sensor system communications

Unattended ground sensors (UGS) have proven to be valuable in various military missions. Specifically, UGS systems add significantly to the capability and security of reconnaissance and surveillance units during military operations by monitoring the battlefield. However, DoD ground sensor systems have historically standardized on a bare-bones low rate communications protocol. Recent initiatives target the incorporation of higher data rates (exceeding 50 kbps), forward error correction, networking, and encryption for enhanced performance. This paper highlights the results of these initiatives, and present system analysis tradeoffs that validate the link reliability and preserve the robustness of legacy systems.