Dependability in Future Battle Network System —Transport Layer Ability to Maintain Quality of Service

Abstract

Modernization of armies is a constant process and is driven by intuitive fact that those who do not modernize will become extinct. In last five decades, the development of modern armies has taken place around Colonel John Boyd’s theory of OODA loop that deals with information superiority. Building a robust, mobile and capable network that could provide for novel appliances and information superiority is the main challenge which modernizers are facing. Network, suitable for future combat operations, and able to transport a vast amount of information on a battlefield, is expensive to build. Every mistake in design and the need to correct those mistakes could halt development in an army for years. Therefore, system dependability analysis during system design phase is needed. In this report, the concept of a future Battle Network System is described. The Report evaluates operational environment of BNS and possible failure reasons of the service, and illustrates the change in BNS Quality of Service due to probable transport layer errors. This paper describes the method of testing the concept of proposed network systems on the drawing board, and emphasizes design points for a new system. Nevertheless, the proposed method is by no means conclusive. Rather, it describes an engineering approach to define the main problems while creating MANET-based networking systems.