Distributed chat in dynamic networks

Chat is becoming increasingly important in military operations. XMPP is the de facto chat protocol in use in NATO today. XMPP is intended for use in stable networks with high bit rate (e.g., LAN, Internet) and does not function well in military tactical networks where resources are scarce and disruptions are frequent. In this paper, we present our novel decentralized solution specially tailored for multi user chat in tactical mobile ad-hoc networks. Our protocol is implemented in Java, and then tested in emulated network conditions. Compatibility with XMPP is achieved through the use of a gateway, so that compatibility with existing deployed chat infrastructure is ensured. Our tests show that our chat solution has a higher message delivery rate in poor conditions than XMPP.