Modeling a joint combat identification network
By: Scott A. Davis
Contributors: Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.) 
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 57
Description: Today's battlefield is much more heterogeneous than in the past. With the emphasis on joint operations both      within the US military and in consort with coalition nations, the need for communications and sharing of tactical      information across service and national boundaries has never been greater. A combat identification (CID)      network that enables force's positions on the battlefield to be displayed at the appropriate granularity for the      various levels of commanders would be a valuable tactical and strategic asset. This thesis explores the possible      network architectures and protocols available to implement such a system and determines, through modeling      and simulation, the optimal design to minimize time performance of the flow of information through the network.      Using a realistic scenario as a basis, system engineering principles were used to generate an optimal network      architecture from the design parameters chosen. The optimal design was determined to be a network consisting      of an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) access type, asymmetric transmit and receive of messages and      network flow control implementation. Additionally, units on the battlefield should be grouped together by type      within a region and the highest bandwidth possible should be used.
Notes: "December 1997."

Thesis advisor(s): John Osmundson.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering) Naval Postgraduate School, December 1997.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 55)

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

Also available online.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.

US Navy (USN) author.

dk/dk cc:9116 5/7/98.