Airborne Intermittent Route Networking (AIRNet) for Multi-Radio TDMA systems

The planned DoD Airborne Network Backbone will provide airborne connectivity for the Air Force ConstellationNet, Army's LandWarNet, and Navy's ForceNet. It will be an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, running on top of the multiple data links currently available. The nodes forming the planned DoD Airborne Network Backbone typically contain multiple radios, with data links based on Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technologies. The overall objective of the proposed Phase II effort is the development and evaluation of the AIRNet suite of protocols which provide a network layer for multi-radio TDMA systems. AIRNet combines: (1) the use of multiple metrics for characterizing link costs in networks with multiple radios; (2) the use of multi-criteria optimization schemes for addressing Quality-of-Service (QoS) issues in airborne networks; and (3) the use of disruption tolerant schemes to address severe link intermittence. The algorithms will be evaluated using high-fidelity simulations involving general airborne networking scenarios and an airborne network scenario consistent with the Advanced Tactical Data Link (ATDL) program. AIRNet will be implemented in a network of COTS Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) running O-SITA (Overlay Sync-Less Impromptu Time Access) at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. O-SITA is being developed by Scientific Systems Company and BBN Technologies as part of a contract with AFRL and will be leveraged in this effort. BBN Technologies will provide support for networking technologies and for prototype development and commercialization. Boeing Integrated Defense Systems will evaluate the developed technologies for inclusion in the ATDL program.