Basic Research in Information Science and Technology for Air Force Needs (2006) / Chapter Skim
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3 Basic Research for Air Force Network Systems and Communications
3 Basic Research for Air Force Network Systems and Communications
Pages 34-51
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From page 34... ...
TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK SERVICES NEEDED IN THE FUTURE Figure 3-1 shows the range of components that will be networked in the future Air Force. The following capabilities are key to achieving the desired functionality, but off-the-shelf technologies are not yet adequate: 34
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From page 35... ...
35 ot tactical oriented is dynamic which Robust Force. "tactical," Air future traditional the in beyond go networked They be will theater.
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From page 36... ...
· Wireless radio services must be available in the field without pre existing infrastructures, and they must be secure, power-efficient, have LPD and LPI, have AJ capabilities, and be able to maintain connectivity with important users. · The satellite, radio, and wireless networks must be integrated with a high-bandwidth, affordable, and secure terrestrial fiber network as one supernetwork.
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From page 37... ...
Thus, the main challenge of Air Force communications is to provide assured connectivity between networks (albeit at varying rates) under difficult channel conditions, including during adversarial attacks.
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From page 38... ...
Game-theoretic and optimization techniques will likely be relevant approaches, as will methods for authentication and cryptography. Reliable and Efficient Free-Space Optical Communications Free-space optical communications in space is relatively well developed, though its capabilities for terminal spatial tracking systems and the weight and power demands of the systems can be improved using more
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From page 39... ...
The second includes efficient signal processing and higher-layer network protocols, which will be addressed below in the discussion of sensor networks. Dynamic Information Theory for Network Applications Recent developments in the new applications of communication networks often require that information be processed in a distributed fashion in real time.
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From page 40... ...
For example, end-to-end reliable data delivery can be a function of the communication system (using diversity receivers and error-correcting codes) , or it can be a function of the network (using diversity path routing and automatic repeat requests at various layers such as the Data Link Control Layer and the Transport Layer)
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From page 41... ...
The answer might come from control theory and stochastic system analysis. Current Transport Layer protocols assume a stable Physical Layer communication infrastructure, so packet losses are typically interpreted as buffer overflow at routers due to congestion.
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From page 42... ...
To allocate these precious resources fairly and provide the best operational support to our forces, the network management system must be able to take into account external policy on priorities, which would change from time to time depending on the important missions at the moment and requirements that arise in the field. The network management system should be able to translate these high-level guiding principles into network actions such as routing and media access control priorities in a timely fashion without a human in
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From page 43... ...
The fundamental research that must be done to support such a vision includes multicommodity resource allocation in a competitive environment, game-theoretic approaches to deal with adversarial attacks, and inference techniques to assess network states in the presence of noise and intentional masking. Networks Designed to Function Under Adversarial Attacks There will be many nodes in a tactical network and the span can be wide, with connectivities back to the continental United States from anywhere on the globe.
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From page 44... ...
should be examined and addressed. Cross-Layer Network Design and Optimization More generally, there would be value in rethinking the network architecture across the layering boundary for military networks, because the difficult channels encountered by DOD are a reality that cannot be avoided.
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From page 45... ...
This type of network routing has significant potential application in military networks, where links are unreliable to begin with and there are also adversarial attacks. The main theoretical underpinnings of this area should be developed by merging algebraic theory, networks, and stochastic algorithms to estab
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From page 46... ...
Energy-Efficient Sensor Networks This is a topic of considerable interest in the private sector, so there are opportunities for leveraging developments there. However, there remain significant research challenges in the area of networked sensorbased embedded systems (for instance, to control swarms of UAVs)
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From page 47... ...
Energy is an issue, and extensive work has been done on minimizing the consumption of ad hoc sensor networks. However, significant research challenges specific to Air Force applications remain in the area of sensor networks: · Development of scalable large-scale sensor network topologies and energy-efficient architectures, including algorithms, operating sys tems, protocols, and internetworking management for the collec tion of information, taking into account constrained resources such as energy, communication bandwidth, and processing capacity.
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From page 48... ...
Since this satellite network will be interconnected to other networks, issues of routing at the Network Layer, reliable packet delivery at the Transport Layer, and network management and control will also need to be addressed. The corresponding research efforts should center on communication theory, experimentation, and practice, with emphasis on heterogeneous networks involving satellites, aircraft, UAVs, and terrestrial wireless and optical systems.
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From page 49... ...
Radio Communications and Networking The development of wireless applications and wireless networks in recent years has motivated some significant improvements in communication theory and information theory. However, maintaining good performance at the Physical Layer for difficult radio channels in the battlefield will be very challenging.
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From page 50... ...
Free-Space Optical Networks Free-space optical networks are important for Air Force applications connecting satellites, aircraft, and ground terminals. The Physical Layer properties of fading and phase distortion for optical links passing through atmospheric and aircraft turbulence create serious problems for protocols
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From page 51... ...
As described in the section above on Transport Layer Design, the Physical Layer and the network architecture must be codesigned. High-priority areas of research include the following: · Understand the interaction of network protocols with the optical link and quantify the performance shortcomings.
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