Internetworking: airborne mine countermeasures C4I Information Systems

Abstract

Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) Command Control Communication Computer and Intelligence (C4I) baseline currently consists of stand-alone tactical decision aids. Information such as aircraft position, equipment status, and abbreviated mine-like contact reports cannot be transferred in any form other than voice from/to the MH-53E helicopters while conducting Airborne Mine Countermeasures operations. There are currently no methods to transfer sonar video or single-frame imagery of mine-like objects between any Mine Warfare (MIW) units in a near-real-time manner. Delays lasting several hours are frequently encountered before the results of a 'rapid reconnaissance' airborne mine-hunting mission are made available to the rest of the fleet and/or MIW community. In order to improve command and control, the AMCM Mine Warfare community must integrate all of its C4I assets onto a tactical internet. This thesis presents a tactical internet for AMCM with an open, standards-based modular architecture. It is based on the TCP/IP network model using common protocols and interfaces. Command and control will significantly improve as this network will provide a methodology to transfer critical information between AMCM C41 assets and tactical networks world-wide.