Queuing structures in SINCGARS radio networks

Much of the information carried on a SINCGARS data network is perishable position reports from friendly units. These situation awareness (SA) messages must be delivered in a timely manner or discarded in favor of more recent information. However, non-perishable information must not be discarded due to the presence of SA messages. As a result, SA messages must be kept in a separate queue. SA messages on a SINCGARS data network can be divided into two types: SA up messages, which are position reports broadcast by units on the local net and relayed to the backbone by the gateway; and SA down messages, which are position reports from the entire battlefield relayed from the backbone by the gateway. The objective is to select a queue size which will discard old reports in a manner which causes the average age of information available to units on the network as low as possible. Simulation studies indicate that this objective is achieved by a queue size to a level which is as small as possible while providing the radio with a full transmission frame at each transmission