Usage Cases and Functional Requirements For Mesh Networking: A Military Perspective

Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Usage Cases and Functional

Requirements for Mesh Networking: A
Military Perspective
William T. Kasch and Jack L. Burbank
The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL)
Usage Cases and Functional Requirements

for Mesh Networking: A Military Perspective
Slide 1
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Outline
Why take military requirements into account?

Why are mesh networks important to the military?
What does mesh networking mean to the military?
The Military Transformation

The Military need for mesh networking
Examples of current military mesh networking
Future military mesh network enabling concepts and
technologies
Notional Military Mesh Network Scenarios
Key functional requirements for military mesh

networks
Conclusion

Slide 2
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Why Consider Military Requirements?
Military is a very large potential customer of 802.11s

products if military requirements are met
Military already procures significant quantity of 802.11

equipment not originally designed to meet their needs
Lack of suitability is largely responsible for constraining this
investment
Significant investment by Military for augmentation of

802.11 technology to better meet needs
Strong desire to leverage commercial-based solutions
Commercial products that can meet Military requirements

stand a very good chance of being purchased large scale
Product could be physical hardware or virtual radio integrated
into DoDs Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) software radio
platform

Slide 3
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
The Military Transformation
Historically, military networks have been designed for highly

specific applications with highly focused requirements
Resultant proprietary solutions that, while highly effective, suffer from

inflexibility, stifling complexity, and poor interoperability
The Military has been transforming itself to enable a more

network-centric warfare strategy
More heavy reliance on information collection and dissemination

Fundamental trade of armor for connectivity
Highly mobile forces using information to conduct fast/responsive,
precise, highly-lethal maneuvers as opposed to the war of attrition
paradigm
This new war-fighting paradigm places unprecedented

importance on communication networks
Slide 4
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
The Military Transformation (continued)
The networks that aim to enable network-centric warfare are

built upon a few basic principles:
Commercial-based standards across networks enabling improved

interoperability
As opposed to highly specialized proprietary technologies
Interoperability among individual Services and Allies
New management paradigms

Self-managing, self-configuring, self-healing
As opposed to significant pre-planning

Slide 5
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Military Need for Mesh Networking
Military often operates in regions where network

infrastructure does not exist
Sea-based assets/forces, ground-based deployed assets/forces, nondeployed assets/forces

Mesh networking is a key enabling technology
Mesh networks provide the opportunity to provide instant

infrastructure quickly
Mesh networks provide the opportunity to provide a dynamic
and adaptive network infrastructure without re-planning
Networks must be capable of keeping up with force movements

Slide 6
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Military Mesh Networks Today
Mesh networking concepts are used or are envisioned to

operate for a variety of applications
Non-deployed applications
Deployed ground-based applications
Deployed sea-based applications
Airborne-based applications
Examples:
Two-Way Robust Acquisition of Data program (2-RAD)

Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS)
SecNet
Sensor networks
Airborne weapons

Slide 7
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Two-Way Robust Acquisition of

Data
An early mesh network concept
to enable real-time telemetry
collection from mobile
platforms
YPG and its 2-RAD prototype
implementation extends
network access in a mesh
fashion where infrastructure is
not easily extendable (rough
desert terrain)
*
@
Wireless bridging application

Fixed infrastructure
Fixed or mobile users

@
@
*
@
@ X
3 Types of YPG
WLAN Sites:
Slide 8
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
EPLRS
A proprietary near-mesh
network developed by Raytheon
Provides robust, on-the-move,
high-speed, automated data
exchange*
Has mesh networking
characteristics: self-healing,
automatic network management
Not a true mesh network (network
control stations required) but a
step in the direction of true mesh
networking for the military
Available in a variety of
platforms: manpack, vehicular,
airborne
Up to 1500 nodes supported per
division
*Images and specfications cited here taken from Raytheon EPLRS specification sheet (http://www.raytheon.com/products/eplrs/ref_docs/eplrs.pdf)

Slide 9
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Harris SecNet 11
Security-enhanced NSA
Type 1 encrypted 802.11
WLAN technology
Approved for ad-hoc
networking* by operating
with the ad-hoc mode of
802.11
Key management a
scalability concern at this
point
*Specifications taken from Harris SecNet briefing:

http://www.govcomm.harris.com/secure-comm/Docs/SecNet11Briefing.pdf

Slide 10
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Future of Military Mesh Networks
Army Future Combat System (FCS)
A networked system of systems that will enable more effective use

of information on the battlefield
Future Force Warrior (FFW)
Soldier collaboration (voice, video) through mobile mesh networks
Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS)
Future Military radio architecture

Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform that will provide common
radio across all platform types and enable integration of future
capabilities as virtual radios
Different clusters: Handheld, vehicular, maritime, airborne, embedded
Self-configuring, decentralized networking capabilities built-in for

some applications (Wideband Networking Waveform)

Slide 11
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Future Combat System
C2 OR LAND WARRIOR VEHICLE

MICRO UAV

ROBOTIC SENSOR
WEAPONS
SHADOW
A-160
Slide 12
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Future Force Warrior

UAVs
Other
Layered
Sensors
Reconnaissance
&Surveillance
BLOS/LOS
SUAV Carrier
NLOS
Mortar
APC, C2, CV, RV

NetFires
NLOS Resupply

Slide 13
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Military Mesh Network Scenarios
Some notional scenarios:
Soldier-to-soldier networks
Video, voice, health, status
Highly mobile, one of the most dynamic mesh configurations
Multiple platform networks

Could include vehicular, airborne, dismount soldier, and fixed sensor platforms, amongst other
possibilities
Large volume of information shared between many different platforms, could include
command and control, sensor data, video, voice, amongst other types of data
Sensor networks
Detecting enemy presence, video monitoring
Exploit number of sensor nodes for route redundancy and improved data flow from sensors for
reachback to backbone
Ground-based vehicular platforms, ground-based fixed-platforms, sea-based (e.g. buoy)
Airborne networks
Fighter jets could share information to enable effective composite target tracking, voice, video
Missiles, artillery shells, perhaps one day even individual bullets
Maritime networks
Enhanced composite tracking capabilities between multiple radars, voice, video

Slide 14
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Key Characteristics of Mesh Networks
Intelligent
Distributed
Affords robust support for mobile users

Fast deployment times
Mobility could vary from foot soldier, to vehicular (e.g. HMMWV), to high-speed
airborne (e.g. missile)
Affordable
MAC and PHY designs accommodate changing topology structure and size, allowing for
range extension and redundancy as nodes are added to the network
Highly Mobile
Eliminates any single point of failure
Scalable
Self-configuring, self-repairing, minimal manual network configuration and

maintenance
Future military networks consists of very large number of network nodes/users
High Capacity
Future military concepts are bandwidth intensive

Requires an efficient solution

Slide 15
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Key Characteristics (continued)
Operational flexibility
Support fixed operations (e.g. extension of infrastructure)

Fixed access points, fixed and/or mobile users
Support full MANET operations

Full network mobility (mobile infrastructure/access points and users)
Hybrid fixed-MANET operations

Mix of mobile users, mobile infrastructure, and fixed access points
Quality-of-Service (QoS)
Future DoD networks must support QoS concepts

QoS could be based upon application needs, user, platform, and/or
mission
QoS must be flexible to support time-varying needs and changing QoS
definitions

Slide 16
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Security
Data shared across a military mesh network must be secured to

minimize loss of life and maximize operational effectiveness
Communications security
Ideally, solution would support Type I encryption of user data and at least
Type II encryption of network management traffic
Network security
Strong authentication and authorization enforcement mechanisms
Operational security
Low probability of intercept/detection (LPI/LPD) and inability to geolocate nodes critical for covert users
Much research has went into highly directional-antenna (DA) 802.11
networks
Introduces complications from need to perform topology management
(particularly for multi-hop communications)
Slide 17
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
MANET and DA-MANET operations
Most useful application of mesh networking is in a MANET setting

MANET operations have significant implications for ALL layers of
protocol stack (PHY, MAC, Network, Transport, and Application)
Effective solutions for any layer cannot be designed in isolation of the
other various layers
Efforts ongoing within other communities to develop MANET

solutions
IETF: MANET routing, Mobile IP
Highly beneficial if IEEE PHY/MAC mesh networking technology

specifications tightly coupled with IETF MANET and Mobility
activities (and vice-versa)
Not that one design should drive the other, but both technologies should
be designed in a collaborative environment

Slide 18
W.T. Kasch,
Septembe
r 2004
doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0
Conclusion
Mesh networks will be an integral part of tomorrows network-centric Military

force
Such networks meet some of the key needs of the Military:
Intelligent, automatic network configuration and maintenance

Distributed architecture reduces the risk of a single point of failure
Scalable mesh network protocol design allows for range extension and robust redundant routes
Mobility support enables the required flexibility of units to move within the battlefield and
provide instant networking capability where needed the most at the current time
Affordable units are embedded with the necessary hardware and software to enable instant
mesh networking, minimizing or eliminating infrastructure deployment and maintenance
Open issues for Military mesh networks
End-to-End QoS
Support of MANET routing protocols
Adaptability
Security
Way forward
Should a more comprehensive document describing Military needs for mesh networking
be pursued or integrated into existing documents (Usage Cases?)

Slide 19
W.T. Kasch,

Usage Cases and Functional Requirements For Mesh Networking: A Military Perspective

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Septembe

doc.: IEEE 802.11-04/1016r0