Wideband networking enhancements for SINCGARS

The Army´s actions to control the battle space and the battle tempo by digitizing the battlefield relies heavily on communications. The digitization of the battlefield has made giant strides at Brigade and Division for both voice and data communications with the deployment of the mobile subscriber equipment (MSE). Although the Army plans to develop the Future Digital Radio (FDR) for Brigade and below, the new high data rate requirements placed on the lower echelons must also be shared by the existing combat net radios (CNRs). The CNRs already handle large volumes of data and voice communications for mobile users. Given this constraint, innovations to the CNRs are required to support the future digitized battlefield. This paper describes how modifications made to the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) could enable this CNR to be upgraded to the seamless communications needs for FORCE XXI and beyond. General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is using independent research and development (IR&D) funding to enhance the capabilities of the SINCGARS radio. The IR&D activities describe how MIL-STD-188-220A can be supported within SINCGARS by adding a networking card and by developing a Wideband SINCGARS Network (WSNET) intranetwork layer. WSNET uses an adaptive routing, line-of-sight and relay networking algorithm to interconnect platforms within a Brigade size element. WSNET simulation efforts using the Optimized Network Engineering Tools (OPNET) Modeler are described for selected routing approaches based on the work of the MIL-STD-188-220A working group