Modeling 21st century tactical communications networks

Emerging technologies in wireless communications and internetworking are revolutionizing the development of tactical communications networks. Key areas such as packetized voice and integrated terrestrial/satellite networking need to be investigated for their performance in the future tactical environment. This paper discusses the effort to identify critical user requirements/enabling technologies and model their effect on, and performance in, the 21st century tactical warfighter communications environment. A set of candidate network architectures was developed around the critical enabling technologies and user requirements and then modeled using a network simulation tool. The simulations are based on packetized wireless communications in an integrated terrestrial/satellite networking environment. Preliminary results for several mobile wireless architecture simulations are presented and future areas of research are also discussed. The mobile wireless network architectures that were modeled and evaluated included the impact of highly mobile users supported by an associated mobile tactical communications infrastructure.