Improving network utilization over heterogeneous airborne networks

Abstract

Existing and future military networks vary widely in bandwidth and other network characteristics, potentially challenging deployment of services and applications across heterogeneous data links. To address this challenge, General Dynamics and Naval Research Laboratory created network services to allow applications to use wireless data links more efficiently. The basis for the network services are hooks into the data links and transport protocols providing status about the airborne networking environment. The network service can monitor heterogeneous data links on a platform and report on link availability and parameters such as latency and bandwidth. The network service then presents the network characteristics to other services and applications. These services and applications are then able to tune parameters and content based on network parameters. The technology has been demonstrated in several live-flight experiments sponsored by the United States Air Force and United States Navy. The technology was housed on several aircraft with a variety of data links ranging from directional, high-bandwidth systems to omnidirectional, medium-bandwidth systems to stable but low-bandwidth satellite systems. In each of these experiments, image and video data was successfully delivered over tactical data links that varied greatly in bandwidth and delay.