Federating Tactical Edge Networks: Ways to Improve Connectivity, Security, and Network Efficiency in Tactical Heterogeneous Networks

This article elaborates on security and routing architectures for mobile tactical heterogeneous networks. It explores challenges and opportunities, and highlights the characteristics of these types of networks and their differences from static and deployed networks. These architectures have value for designing national military networks, as well as for realizing IP-based coalition networks at the mobile tactical edge. The article is based on work done within the NATO research group IST- 124, and may serve as input for standardization of future federated tactical networks.