Secure and disruption-tolerant communications for unmanned underwater vehicles

SECURE AND DISRUPTION-TOLERANT COMMUNICATIONS FOR UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLES An underwater communications system 110 includes a network communication interface, one or more computer processors, and a memory 150 containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of the one or more computer processors 170, performs an operation. The operation includes storing a plurality of data packets to be transmitted to a destination device, determining that data communications over the network communication interface have become available for a first network node, and determining that the first network node has a valid security credential that has not been revoked by an access granting authority. Additionally, the operation includes, upon determining that the first network node has the valid security credential, transmitting the stored plurality of data packets over the network communication interface to the first network node. The first network node is configured to employ store-carry-and-forward data messaging techniques to transmit the plurality of data packets towards the destination device. P- I - I I I I I uiI - I I I f I I F F m D I I I I I F F () F F I FI Z: w 112U 0 6 a I I I1- I I w II II I C )I I F