Future Air Force Tactical Communications

During the 1980's, many improvements will be made in the Air Force's ability to communicate in a battlefield environment. Programs like JTIDS, SEEK TALK, TRI-TAC, and the Ground Mobile Forces satellite communications terminals will improve the security, jam resistance, connectivity, and capacity of today's Air Force tactical communications. Even after these programs have been implemented, however, some important problem areas will remain, especially in our ability to resist a determined enemy's electronic warfare and physical attacks. This paper first describes today's Air Force tactical communications requirements and capabilities, and then summarizes the current problem areas. Currently planned programs to solve these problems are described for aircraft voice, aircraft data, ground-to-ground interconnections, and sensor/weapon data links. The problem areas that will remain after the implementation of these programs are then discussed. Some important technological opportunities are identified that hold promise for overcoming some of the projected problem areas in the 1990's. In addition, some system approaches are suggested for exploiting these technological opportunities, and for improving our use of older technologies. These system approaches emphasize reduced-information-rate operation, adaptive network techniques, network management/control, packet switching, and joint-Service, interoperable, common-user systems.