Tactical Line-of-Sight Path Reliability: Improved MSE System Procedures

Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) provides digital voice, data, and packet-switched tactical communications for Army corps and division areas of coverage deployed anywhere in the world. Line-of-sight (LOS) links in MSE must operate satisfactorily in all climates and terrains; however, difficult propagation environments (e.g., that encountered in Southwest Asia) can diminish link reliability. This report describes enhancements to MSE operating procedures to address this problem. The enhanced procedures call for the user to specify the propagation reliability desired on a link, e.g., 99.9 percent. The corresponding required margin is then calculated as a function of link parameters such as path length and climate. The margin achieved during link initialization is measured, reported, and compared to the required margin as the basis for link acceptance. Also, since propagation-caused problems can not be cured by the current practice of replacing equipment, enhanced troubleshooting procedures are described. Although this report utilizes the MSE framework and terminology the methodology and recommendations are applicable to any LOS digital radio system.