Multimedia communications in the air defense environment

The air defense communications environment and design requirements associated with the US Air Defense Initiative (ADI) intelligent communications controller (ICC) are discussed. The ICC is envisioned as a multimedia controller that supports integrated voice and data services. It is pointed out that the communications system for the future air defense system must be survivable, enduring, reconstitutable, and maintainable during all phases of an attack. The point-to-point communications systems currently in use are not efficient and are highly vulnerable to failure and enemy attack. These problems can be greatly reduced through the incorporation of emerging network technologies. System performance can be further improved by incorporating adaptive routing techniques. Finally, the communications architecture must be open so that it will be flexible enough to allow integration of the new and modified systems required to counter advancements in enemy systems. The ADI ICC being developed will use commercial off-the-shelf hardware with an open architecture so that the design enhancements can be accommodated as the system evolves