Distributed Tactical Communications with LPD/LPI and AJ Capabilities in Heavily Congested or Contested RF Environments

There is an urgent need to support communications in a contested and congested electromagnetic environment. The sponsor views distributed beamforming as offering the most potential to maximize signal-to-noise ratio between the transmitter and intended receiver while minimizing the residual signal thus giving the highest level of Low Probability of Detection/Low Probability of Intercept (LPD\LPI). The Army seeks more general approaches that support distributed beamforming between multiple clusters of dismounted nodes (i.e. squad-to-squad, platoon-to-platoon) that can function without the aid of a base station. This effort shall focus on balancing scalability while maintaining LPD/LPI and Anti-Jam (AJ) capabilities. There are many examples in history where the inability to communicate or the failed delivery of the message clearly has resulted in defeat or mission failure. An example of such a defeat/mission failure is immortalized by the great narrative poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Lord Alfred Tennyson in 1854. This charge was an attack by British Cavalry in the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War led by Lord Cardigan. The charge resulted from a miscommunication in the chain of command from the commander of British forces, Lord Raglan, all the way down to Lord Cardigan. Lord Raglan, commanding officer for British forces in the battle, could see two batteries giving fire to his troops and ordered an immediate charge. He dispatched these orders to Brigadier Airey who drafted the order and proceeded to give it to Captain Nolan who in turn gave it to the Earl of Lucan, General George Bingham, commander of British cavalry. Already, you have four degrees of separation and ample opportunity for miscommunication. When the order reached Lucan, it was so vague that Lucan had no idea what battery he was actually ordered to attack. Lucan asked Nolan what battery he was to attack but Nolan had no idea as well and pointed to a set of batteries as the designated ones. The ones he pointed out however, only had one battery, not two as Lord Raglan had assessed. The Light Brigade proceeded to charge this battery, led by Lord Cardigan, through a valley of concentrated fire and the batteries themselves. What occurred was immortalized in history. The assault would end with massive casualties for the British while effectively no casualties for the Russians and continued fire from the designated battery. Truly, the Charge of the Light Brigade remains one of the most damning pieces of battlefield actions that resulted from terrible communications in the chain of command. The goal of this effort is to prevent or reduce to the smallest probability possible similar occurrences in modern conflicts involving the US Army.