Hybrid Autonomous Router for Tactical (HART) Networks

The DoD has identified the need for airborne platforms from the various services to be integrated into the Global Information Grid (GIG). The current state of the practice for connecting airborne platforms to the GIG has four major limitations, i.e., (1) inability to adapt dynamically to topology changes in the network; (2) need for excessive manual configuration; (3) lack of scalalability with network size; and (4) inability of routing protocols to factor radio link quality into routing decisions resulting in sub-optimal network performance. Architecture Technology Corporation (ATC) proposes to build a Hybrid Autonomous Router for Tactical (HART) networks that will implement an innovative set of networking mechanisms to overcome the limitations of the state of the art for airborne network routers. HART will improve the availability and performance of network-centric airborne applications by enhancing commercially available routers with the following capabilities: dynamic subnet address allocation, dynamic link and route assignment, and dynamic domain name services. The Phase I effort will develop a detailed design of HART to provide networking between free space optical, TTNT, WiMax, CDL, and JCAN subnetworks. The follow-on Phase II effort will implement a prototype of the HART product and demonstrate it in a laboratory setting.