An Intelligent C3 Terminal Architecture

With some further development of current technologies it should be possible to realize a communication terminal that could enhance the capabilities of a commander in a significant way by utilizing machine intelligence in conjunction with modern digital communication and signal processing technologies. The terminal we envision would have modules supporting digital voice, video, graphics, and text communication at a variety of rates as well as interfaces to a wide range of communication networks and links. In the event of stress caused by network damage or jamming, the terminal would adapt its communications by choosing lower rates, different network paths, other modalities, or some combination of these options. End-to-end security layers would allow secure communication among these advanced terminals through public networks when necessary under emergency conditions. The "smarts" in the terminal would reside in a module called the Intelligent Communication Associate (ICA) that would utilize appropriate artificial intelligence and database management techniques to assist the commander in establishing connections to the parties with whom he wished to communicate, and to advise him as to current network status. The ICA would maintain a directory of other terminals with ICAs as well as other parties with whom the commander may have need to communicate. The directory would be designed to contain any information that might prove useful in achieving successful communication when normal paths are damaged or blocked.