An analysis of the Army's Tactical Packet Network

Abstract

This thesis represents an analysis of the U.S. Army's Tactical Communications System with particular emphasis on the Tactical Packet Network (TPN). It is a study of the Army's TPN and the proposed upgrade solutions. The U.S. Army awarded GTE a contract to replace the TPN Exterior Gateway Protocol with the Border Gateway Protocol. Additionally, the U.S. Army intends to upgrade the bandwidth of the Small Extension Node Switch and the Node Center Switch. The goal of both upgrades is to enhance the TPN. One cannot look at TPN without looking at the overall infrastructure or the Army Tactical Command and Control System (ATCCS). Even this view is shortsighted. The ATCCS continues to evolve to meet the information requirements of the warfighter. Thus, a fair study must include our current capabilities and our future intentions for C4I. This thesis analyzes both.