IV.G.01—Integrated Photonic Subsystems.  Integrated Photonic subsystems will be developed by FY97 for application to optical control of single beam phased array antennas and fiber optic point–to–point links, local area networks, and antenna remoting systems. By FY99, subsystems will be developed for optical control of multibeam phased array antennas. These subsystems will reduce size, cost and power consumption while increasing the performance of high speed fiber optic systems. Fiber optic phased array control systems, which can be scaleable to any desired frequency, will enable communications OTM by utilizing multiple beams with acquisition and tracking capability. Demonstration of the photonically controlled single panel phased array antenna will be conducted during FY99. Demonstration of a photonically controlled multi panel phased array antenna will be conducted during FY00.

Supports: Local Area Communications, Mobile Communications, Satellite Communications, Radio Access Point Antenna.

IV.G.02—Protocol Specifications for Digital Communication on the Battlefield.  Through research in executable protocol specifications, create methods for implementing specifications in the IEEE/ANSI/DoD/FIPS approved hardware description language, known as VHSIC Hardware Description Language (VHDL). Research and test various narrow band (e.g., Mobile Subscriber Equipment) and broadband ISDN (e.g., Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)) switches. The implementation will be an unambiguous, validatable, and simulation capable description of the interface, which can be tested as software. Once described in the hardware description language, the specification can be used to automatically generate hardware using commercially available CAD tools. The resulting hardware is guaranteed to comply with the original specifications because it was derived from the description language. The procedure will be verified using existing military and commercial standards. By FY95 complete a model to describe the All Digital Tactical–to–Strategic Gateway, MIL–STD–188–105. By FY96 further demonstrate the hardware description model by testing the newly emerging ATM standard in conjunction with DISA. By FY97 demonstrate the capability of VHDL to generate hardware by creating hardware implementation. By FY98 demonstrate interoperability of dissimilar COTS/GOTS ATM equipment on the battlefield.

Supports: CAC² ATD, Digitization of the Battlefield.

IV.G.05—Networking and Protocols.  Program will integrate and evaluate emerging commercial high speed network technology and protocols (e.g., Sonet, ATM) for performance and for achieving seamless communications with tactical and commercial systems. Commercial network management products will be analyzed and enhanced to ensure compatibility with military–specific requirements and Army legacy communications systems. Will participate in various commercial/academic forums to influence emerging protocols/products for dual use capabilities. Tactical multinet gateways will be evolved by modification and enhancement of commercial–off–the–shelf (COTS) router products to allow ATM and Non–ATM based networks to communicate. Hierarchical video routing to allow the network to automatically route a limited picture of the battlefield (i.e., still frame, slow scan) to users with limited bandwidth while at the same time allowing users with higher available bandwidth to receive a higher class of service (i.e., real–time video). Long term focus will address dynamic and fault tolerant protocol functionality to provide enhanced network survivability and greater capability for communication OTM. Dynamic network reconfiguration without user intervention will be demonstrated. By FY96, establish prototype broadcast ATM capability and monitoring and control functions for mobile networks. By FY97, demonstrate hierarchical video routing between ATM and IP multicast networks, and integrate broadcast protocol with the radio access point. By FY98, demonstrate protocol enhancements for large networks, across services and across media. For FY00, demonstrate dynamic network survivability through protocol adaptation to external environment (e.g. weather, threat, network congestion) and evolve protocols to accommodate next–generation communications architecture.

Supports: Winning the Information War, Digitizing the Battlefield, Battlespace Command & Control, Digital Battlefield Communications, JTF Communications Planning & Management System (JCPMS), ISYSCON.

IV.G.06—Battle Planning.  The Battle Planning effort will develop, integrate and demonstrate emerging technologies to significantly enhance battlespace visualization and enable collaborative planning, rehearsal, execution and monitoring (including real–time intelligence/operations) on the digital battlefield. The focus is on the commander’s interface to the battlespace and the embedded software "tools" that will allow the commander and his staff to collaborate electronically in a rapid and effective manner. This STO is leveraging basic research being performed at Army Research Laboratories (ARL) in the area of real time three dimensional (3D) graphical representations, and advanced techniques for image utilization and management (to include zoom in/out, perspective from any viewpoint, and overlays of actual imagery, modeled objects or symbols). Expert systems and natural speech recognition algorithms will aid the commander and staff in rapidly generating and evaluating courses of action. These integrated capabilities will enable the commander to quickly grasp the situation and react to the dynamically changing battlespace. By FY97 demonstrate real–time collaborative planning between the commander and his intelligence and operations staff elements. By FY98, demonstrate capability to perform planning and real time rehearsal, demonstrate speaker independent, continuous speech recognition and exploit direct broadcast satellite (DBS) imagery and terrain data distribution. By FY00, demonstrate a fully integrated capability to allow the commander and staff to perform "end–to–end" collaboration to include: split based operations, course of action evaluation aids, "hands–off" user interface using "natural language" speech input and real–time 3D depiction of the battlefield.

Supports: Battle Command & Mounted Battlespace Battle Labs, Force XXI and follow–on Division and Corps AWE’s, XVIII Airborne Corps AWEs, Battlespace Command & Control ATD , Rapid Terrain Visualization ACTD, Consistent Battlespace Understanding (IST IS.01), Forecasting, Planning & Resource Allocation (IST IS.02), and Integrated Force Management (IST IS.01)

IV.G.07—Antennas for Communications Across the Spectrum.  The objective of this STO is to develop, leverage and apply emerging antenna technology to reduce the number of antennas, reduce the visual signature (conformal), reduce the cosite and control problems and increase efficiencies and radiation patterns in the ranges of 2MHz to 2GHz. A second goal is to provide OTM SATCOM antenna capabilities in the Triband (e, x, Ku) and EHF bands. Five technologies will be explored to address different applications. For SPEAKeasy applications wideband technology will be exploited. For air and ground vehicles Structurally Embedded Reconfigurable Antenna Technology (SERAT) and structure tuned antenna techniques will be used. SHF and EHF low profile, self steering, OTM antenna technology will be applied to the SATCOM applications. The initial thrust will be to address the broadband requirements for SPEAKeasy. Following this, the effort will be expanded to pursue the remaining efforts concurrently. By FY98, a wideband SPEAKeasy antenna will be demonstrated. A UHF Conformal antenna (SERAT) will also be demonstrated in FY98 on a Blackhawk, followed by a demonstration on a selected ground platform in FY99. A structured tuned VHF antenna will be fabricated and demonstrated in FY99 on a ground vehicle. A Triband (c, x, Ku) OTM self steering SATCOM antenna capability will be demonstrated in FY00. In FY01, an OTM self steering EHF SATCOM antenna capability will be demonstrated.

Supports: SPEAKeasy, Future Digital Radio, Tactical Airborne and Ground vehicles, Direct Broadcast Satellite, DSCS, and MILSTAR.

IV.G.08—Advanced Command, Control, and Communications (C³) Modeling and Simulation.  Objective is to provide modeling and simulation (M&S) that accurately represent dissemination, processing and transmission of information generated and collected on the battlefield. Approach includes developing systems performance models (SPMs) to support the introduction of evolving battlefield visualization, command and control (C²) and high–speed information transport technologies, including asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switching, personal communications systems (PCS), High–Capacity Trunk Radio (HCTR), and Radio Access Point (RAP); supporting the development of integrated secure, survivable and adaptive C³ networks using Distributed Interactive Simulations and comply with the High Level Architecture (HLA) by developing a Common Modeling Environment (CME) capable of supporting all M&S domains. By FY98, provide integrated division/corps SPM, which includes all Army Battle Command System (ABCS) and Battlefield Information Transmission System (BITS) elements. By FY99, provide virtual communications systems models and DIS/HLA interfaces for ABCS to support man–in–the–loop evaluation and training for Force XXI. By FY00, transition existing virtual and systems performance models to CME to facilitate model enhancements for Force XXI acquisition/fielding and to realize cost/benefit ratio improvements in use of M&S. By FY01, complete transition to CME and demonstrate next–generation simulation aids for initialization, management and data reduction that will reduce time required to set up, execute and analyze results of simulations and user–interface technology that supports use by the Warfighter for mission planning/training. S&TCD Funded, C²SID Executed.

Supports: Digital Battlefield Communications (DBC) and Battlespace Command and Control (BC²) ATD programs, Battlefield Information Transmission System (BITS), and the Warfighters Information Network (WIN).

IV.G.09—Personal Communications System for the Soldier.  The objective of this STO is to develop the next generation Land Warrior Radio Technology by adapting commercial cellular PCS (CDMA and WB–CDMA) technology to support the needs of the dismounted soldier. A second goal is to satisfy the Joint Service requirements for dismounted Warfighter communications. The technical objectives will be executed in close cooperation with the DARPA Small Unit Operations (SUO) and Global Mobile Information Systems (GloMo) Programs. This technology offers significant advantages in Multipath performance (MOUT application) and Anti Jam/Low Probability of Detection protection. This effort will emphasize the elimination of fixed cellular infrastructure requirements on which the other PCS initiatives are based. This STO will build on technical and operational experience acquired with CDMA and W–CDMA technology in various frequency bands acquired during our activities in support of the DARPA Commercial Communications Technology Testbed (C²T2) and GloMo programs, Digital Battlefield Communications ATD, and the USMC Hunter Warrior and Sea Dragon exercises. This STO will develop peer–to–peer and multihop packet relaying protocols on portable computer host, leading to a demonstration of a noncellular PCS handset exploiting commercial chipsets and ASICS used in CDMA and W–CDMA systems. In FY97, the RF multipath environment for dismounted soldiers moving in urban terrain and or other constrained terrains will be characterized. By FY98, host computer interface will be defined to enable rapid protocol development for implementation on portable (handheld) computer environments (e.g., PDA). In FY99 and FY00, peer–to–peer and multihop packet relaying will be demonstrated with commercial CDMA and W–CDMA handsets adapted for use without reliance on cellular land network infrastructure.. In FY99 and FY00, Fortezza COMSEC developed under the CONDOR and MISSI programs will be demonstrated in the DARPA SUO Program and MOUT ACTD. The final year’s demo in FY01 will demonstrate a technology upgrade for the Land Warrior soldier platform. Benefits of CDMA and W–CDMA technology for tactical applications will be evaluated and demonstrated throughout the program.

Supports: Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT), ARPA Small Unit Operation, Land Warrior Soldier Program, USMC Urban Warrior.

IV.G.10—Advanced Battlefield Processing Technology. The objective of this effort is to develop an extensible, scaleable and adaptable software infrastructure to enhance the command and control decision making. This research effort focuses on significantly improving the information access and operator focus of attention so that significant battlefield events are rapidly perceived and readily understood by the commanders and staff with minimal interaction. By FY98, demonstrate software subsystems to enhance battlefield visualization fidelity/responsiveness. By FY99, demonstrate software subsystems to integrate battlefield environment models with high resolution terrain. By FY00, demonstrate software subsystems to enhance synchronized operations through focus of attention and seamless information access. By FY01, demonstrate software subsystems to evaluate hands–free multimodal human computer interaction (natural language, eye–tracking and gestures). This suite of tools will enhance battlefield visualization capabilities of C² systems by improving scalability from the TOC to the Platform level and extensibility across the maneuver and Intel BFA’s.

Supports: Rapid Terrain Visualization ACTD, Battle Command and Control (BC²) ATD, CERDEC