Communications are critical to effective battlefield operations, but hostile and changing conditions, unreliable bandwidth and connectivity, and the variety of devices on the battlefield make it challenging for today’s agile teams to get the information they need when they need it. For example, a convoy traveling through a hostile urban area may need both historical and real time information about their situation, such as past threats and up-to-the-minute maps and road condition information. A simple event, such as a truck stalling on their planned route, can require immediate replanning and, consequently, require an immediate update to all situational awareness information. Today, such information is limited, and those relying on disadvantaged links or devices may not receive adequate information quickly enough to adapt to the changing situation.

Using the prototype system that BBN Technologies will develop and demonstrate under this contract, the convoy team could first submit requests for information based on their mission and planned route. The system could deliver the available historical data about threats such as ambush and IED sites superimposed on real-time photographs of the route. If their planned course changed, the convoy troops would relay this information to the communications system, which would then deliver relevant information about the new route in formats that are compatible with the mission, role, device, and bandwidth of each user.

Called Quality of Service Enabled Dissemination, or QED, the prototype system will incorporate both quality-of-service and disruption tolerance capabilities to ensure that troops in tactical situations get timely delivery of the information they need. The quality of service (QoS) capability means that the system will be able to prioritize the information delivery for various applications, users, or data flows while guaranteeing the minimum data flow required for operational effectiveness. For example, a user on a radio set or field telephone with a secondary or support role in the mission may not be able to receive dense data such as a photograph with superimposed text information. The QoS capability will ensure that the user receives adequate information to carry out his or her mission, such as a lightweight text version of the same information.

Additionally, the prototype system will be disruption tolerant so that it continues to operate and advance message traffic despite temporary disruptions or intermittent communications. Finally, the system will be scaleable to large numbers of users, operations, and resources.

“Military personnel, search and rescue teams, and aid workers put their lives on the line to bring stability and comfort to areas of political unrest,” said Tad Elmer, president and CEO, BBN Technologies. “The QED system will help AFRL meet the Joint Vision 2010 goal of getting the right information to the right user at the right time in the right format—naturally we are honored to support that.”

About BBN Technologies

BBN Technologies solves real problems through the creation and disciplined application of advanced technology. With expertise spanning information security, speech and language processing, networking, distributed systems, and sensing and control systems, BBN scientists and engineers have amassed a substantial collection of innovations and patented solutions. Today, BBN is managing the planning and design of GENI, an advanced network facility spanning the United States; is saving lives in Iraq and Afghanistan with its Boomerang Shooter Detection System; operates the first metro quantum cryptography network; has deployed the first real-time foreign broadcast monitoring system; and has demonstrated the benefits of the world's first stereoscopic digital mammography system in clinical trials. For more information, visit www.bbn.com.