Autonomous, Mission-Based Traffic Engineering

Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS) is the Navy’s integrated software-defined network (SDN). CaaS provides provisioned delivery of mission-critical data based on configurable policies using all available communications links. CaaS was initially designed to enable asynchronous fire control over existing tactical data links. In this SBIR, Caliola is exploring how CaaS can be used to better integrate new Resilient Command, Control, and Communications (RC3) capabilities with ADNS. Specifically, we seek to automate and adapt CaaS admission priorities to respect both the Commander’s Intent for the mission and the extreme bandwidth limitations of communications contested environments. For example, we target a solution that ensures the highest-priority set of thinline applications remain functional when the Navy’s new Wideband Anti-jam Modem (WAM) transitions from wideband- to protected-mode operations. In Phase I, Caliola designed a software-only middlebox that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to generate CaaS policies that shape the traffic that is input to shipboard ADNS routers in communications contested environments. Our goal in this Phase II is effort to advance AssuredShaper to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.