Simulation of Communications Protocols for a Tactical Radar Network. Part I. Executive Summary

An advanced forward area tactical radar network is now under conceptual development by the Air Force Electronic Systems Division. The proposed network will link together a number of short-range radars, each with associated data processing equipment, so that each radar site has a complete file of tracks for all targets seen by any radar in the network. In addition, the communication network is expected to be used for transmission of a variety of other types of command and control messages. A new class of adaptive routing protocols for computer communication networks has been developed in this research using the radar network as a basis. These new routing protocols utilize new techniques for searching out and using both reciprocal paths (paths over which messages can travel in either direction) and non-reciprocal paths (paths over which messages can travel in only one direction) for directed message routing. A GPSS simulation model of a thirteen node radar network was used to determine the transient characteristics of the new routing protocols while adapting to various cases of network damage. These tests indicate that the new routing algorithms possess varying degrees of adaptability to network damage. Some of the new routing algorithms were shown to possess the capability to adapt to extreme cases of network damage.