Airborne Multi-antenna Robust Collaborative Network (AMRCN)

Airborne networks provide the ideal backbone alternative to legacy ground infrastructure and SATCOM for providing C2 and other communication to forward operating units. Airborne networks offer reliable coverage, fast deployment, survivability, low installation cost, among many other advantages.When compared with legacy point-to-point airborne links and mobile ad-hoc terrestrial network, however, airborne networks present significantly tougher technical challenges ranging from wireless channel types to node dynamics and susceptibility to interference. Furthermore, airborne networks with next generation capabilities must exhibit superior spectrum efficiency to support as many users in the battlefield with minimal available spectrum.In this effort we look at taking full advantage of multi-antenna techniques across the entire network stack to achieve several multiplicative factors in spectrum efficiency. We combine the well known physical layer spatial multiplexing MIMO with new higher layer features such as network MIMO, multi-user MIMO, and MIMO-aware multi-cast routing in a low-SWaP low-cost portable radio form factor. Such higher layer features require sophisticated collaboration protocols between network nodes.In addition to spectrum efficiency, the airborne network will include mature technological features such as MIMO radio interference mitigation, dynamic spectrum access, link adaptation, among others to deliver on a complete, robust solution.