DAEMON: Directional Airborne-Enhanced Mesh Overlay Network

To support future MUM-T operations, the Navy requires innovative directional mesh networking technology that couples the key ad hoc networking features of omnidirectional waveforms such as TTNT with the high throughputs offered by line of sight data links such as CDL and MADL. In this SBIR, WPL proposes to develop, prototype, and demonstrate its Directional Airborne-Enhanced Mesh Overlay Networking (DAEMON) architecture. An “overlay” network is simply a network that is built on top of another network. In this case, DAEMON is built on top of point-to-point networks that are formed by pairs of existing, unmodified CDL or MADL transceivers. In the proposed Phase I effort, we will use modeling and simulation to show that our DAEMON architecture can perform network self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing, and self-stabilizing at the scales required for MUM-T operations. Phase I will culminate with a live demonstration of key DAEMON components running in a simulated airborne environment. In Phase II, we will first implement the DAEMON protocol stack on top of an unmodified COTS radio that acts as an effective proxy for CDL and MADL hardware. We will then demonstrate and validate our DAEMON architecture in an emulated and operationally relevant MUM-T environment.