A Web for the Battlefield
The primary challenges facing the modern battlefield, which is based on network-centric warfare and communication, are providing a substantial bandwidth in a non-sovereign territory and managing the frequency spectrum dynamically. To address these issues, Rafael developed the BNet system
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 11/05/2018
Photo: IDF
The modern battlefield is based on network-centric warfare and communication is becoming a combat-facilitating element. The two primary challenges facing armed forces interested in implementing this technological combat doctrine are providing a substantial bandwidth in a non-sovereign territory and managing the frequency spectrum dynamically. Both challenges are effectively addressed by the BNet system by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Tactical Cognitive Radio
"About 7-8 years ago Rafael decided to develop a tactical Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET), based on the understanding that this is the direction where the battlefield is heading," explains Erez I., in charge of business development at Rafael's C4I Administration. "When the development process started, one of the primary technological blockages was network capacity. One should bear in mind that a maneuvering military consists of tens or hundreds of thousands of troops and platforms, all moving together, with each trooper or platform constituting a node within the network. Dealing with a MANET-type network of this magnitude, on the move, is a complex challenge."
Another challenge, they explain at Rafael, has to do with the management of the network. A military client demands a network with a minimum bandwidth for the management task. Another important technological element is dynamic management of the frequency spectrum, a capability given the name 'Cognitive Radio.' It is the capability of the transceiver to be aware of the frequencies that are being used and those that are free and available within a split second, and to decide how the data should be transferred – all without human involvement in the loop.
Rafael succeeded in accomplishing that, provided that all of the transceivers in the network are fitted with the BNet system, or alternately – provided that all of the transceiver suppliers share algorithms, and then the Cognitive Radio capability may be provided by a mixed network, too. "Our transceivers are manufactured in advance with an open architecture. In reality, however, for the entire network to be able to manage the spectrum independently, all of the manufacturers supplying transceivers to that client must cooperate," explains I.
The basis for the Cognitive Radio capability is Software-Defined Radio (SDR). Simplified, you manufacture a hardware MoDem that supports multiple frequencies, and the spectrum management is accomplished through software. This is a complex technology and numerous industries, in Israel and around the world, are currently working on the development of products based on it. In the past, dedicated hardware had to be 'locked' for each frequency range. This fact made radio transceivers bulky, heavy and costly and necessitated rigid manual management of the frequency spectrum.
"State-of-the-art Software-Defined Radio transceivers like ours come in several shapes and sizes. Everything from a transceiver for the individual trooper, through vehicular transceivers to transceivers for aircraft. In the era of the network-centric warfare, all of them share the same network. Another challenge faced by MANET-type networks is the effect of delay. Owing to the structure and function of the network, the delay interval in such networks is normally long and makes it difficult to transfer data and video. With the BNet system, we managed to solve this problem and demonstrated, in the recent trials conducted in Israel that it is possible to transmit six video channels and obtain a bandwidth of about 10 megabytes using our transceiver," says I.
Rafael's App Store
In addition to the dynamic spectrum management feature, the BNet system is based on a TCP/IP protocol. Although it is a communication protocol that requires authorizations and therefore regarded as more sensitive than UDP, Rafael managed to achieve that on the basis of a MANET-type network. The option of operating using a standard IP protocol makes the BNet system a battlefield Internet platform to all intents and purposes.
"On the basis of the BNet network, we developed an App store designated BNet Apps," says I. "It is an operational App store for the battlefield, which relies on the data communication capability of the BNet system. What apps are available? One of the apps is an operational app for helicopters. Helicopter pilots can share video streams and location data as well as share and assign targets. On top of that, they can communicate and use graphic aids to generate a graphic dialog – all during combat."
In order to resolve the known blockages MANET-type networks had suffered from, Rafael developed a network concept that regards the users of the network as a logical group. Under the IP of the radio transceiver, there is a frequency which undergoes time multiplexing. In the past, the network was a common frequency shared by all of the users, and then every network user competed against the others over time intervals. As the BNet system manages the frequency spectrum/time on its own, subject to a spectrum regime set forth in advance, the network becomes a logical group within the network management element.
"Everyone in the network can monitor multiple channels and the definition of the group becomes logical rather than channel-based. This enables us to transfer a larger amount of data in reception mode, in a manner similar to the asymmetry of home Internet. The downlink channel can be greater than the uplink channel. Over the bandwidth of a channel transmitting 1 MHz, we can provide the client with 1-2 megabytes net for data transfer purposes. The management overheads have decreased. The management mechanism has become simplified," explains I. "In one of the recent demonstrations we demonstrated different types of data on the same network. Multicast or Unicast, situational awareness or the transfer of files over TCP-IP."
Connecting Weapon Systems to the Network
The time required in order to deploy a MANET-type network is critical to the maneuvering forces as they operate in enemy territory where there is no cellular network, and the availability of satellite communication is inconclusive – but the forces still need to communicate among themselves. The network is established automatically. Before departing, every battalion/brigade commander defines the frequency range allocated to him. The software update is uploaded to all of the transceivers of that unit, and from that moment on, the BNet system will manage the spectrum automatically. "The troopers no longer have to carry a classified list of frequencies in their pockets," says I.
Following the preliminary definitions, the network is deployed according to the number of users in that network, with each user constituting an equal node within the network, capable of transmitting and receiving. As the number of nodes increases, the bandwidth is expected to undergo attenuation. "In most applications, the attenuation can go through several nodes. We developed the BNet system so that the applications would not be affected by attenuation," explains I. "We tested the delay effect of the network and the time constants in field trials, including a field trial for the IDF. In that trial, we also tested the recovery from situations of isolated islands in less than five seconds. The delay interval for each node does not exceed 100 milliseconds. This delay can accommodate real-time applications."
At Rafael, they do not like to elaborate on the capabilities of the BNet system when asked about the options of connecting operational weapon systems, but one can make the connection between the IDF 'fire space' concept and such communication capabilities. If a military organization wishes to implement network-centric warfare where no communication network is available, it will need a MANET-type network that does not depend on any external element – a network with a delay suitable for real-time applications – in order to transmit commands to the weapon systems connected to it.
The moment the military forces enter a territory where they are not the sovereign power and the regulator of the frequency spectrum, implementing a tactical cellular network becomes a challenge. Such a cellular network is built around "Citrons" – an area that provides service to all nodes within its receiving radius. Each "Citron" includes several cellular base stations, connected to a satellite or optical fiber channel. If it is an infantry battalion that operates outside of Israel, it will require the backs of several troopers or space on board the armored vehicles for mounting the "Citrons." Under ideal conditions, such a network may be able to provide advanced services, but if those "Citrons" should suddenly fail to operate, the entire network will collapse. That is the reason why military organizations do not hasten to enter maneuvering scenarios while relying on a communication network of this type.
The Objective: Dual Environment
If we were to review the military need, it would look like this: there is a cellular communication network in the sovereign territory of the state, and a MANET-type network in the enemy's territory, and a transceiver is required that would provide the user with the ability to switch between the two environments transparently. As long as you are in your own territory, your transceiver will connect to the network of the cellular service provider. As you enter the enemy's territory, the same transceiver will connect to the ad-hoc network independently. As far as the infantry trooper is concerned, the switch should be transparent, and for him, the applications should continue to operate without interruption. "The concept of a dual environment on the same transceiver is the direction in which we are heading," explains I. "With the BNet system, you can be an LTE cellular subscriber or a MANET user. The applications of the BNet Apps store are indifferent to the type of infrastructure."
The primary challenges facing the modern battlefield, which is based on network-centric warfare and communication, are providing a substantial bandwidth in a non-sovereign territory and managing the frequency spectrum dynamically. To address these issues, Rafael developed the BNet system
Photo: IDF
The modern battlefield is based on network-centric warfare and communication is becoming a combat-facilitating element. The two primary challenges facing armed forces interested in implementing this technological combat doctrine are providing a substantial bandwidth in a non-sovereign territory and managing the frequency spectrum dynamically. Both challenges are effectively addressed by the BNet system by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Tactical Cognitive Radio
"About 7-8 years ago Rafael decided to develop a tactical Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET), based on the understanding that this is the direction where the battlefield is heading," explains Erez I., in charge of business development at Rafael's C4I Administration. "When the development process started, one of the primary technological blockages was network capacity. One should bear in mind that a maneuvering military consists of tens or hundreds of thousands of troops and platforms, all moving together, with each trooper or platform constituting a node within the network. Dealing with a MANET-type network of this magnitude, on the move, is a complex challenge."
Another challenge, they explain at Rafael, has to do with the management of the network. A military client demands a network with a minimum bandwidth for the management task. Another important technological element is dynamic management of the frequency spectrum, a capability given the name 'Cognitive Radio.' It is the capability of the transceiver to be aware of the frequencies that are being used and those that are free and available within a split second, and to decide how the data should be transferred – all without human involvement in the loop.
Rafael succeeded in accomplishing that, provided that all of the transceivers in the network are fitted with the BNet system, or alternately – provided that all of the transceiver suppliers share algorithms, and then the Cognitive Radio capability may be provided by a mixed network, too. "Our transceivers are manufactured in advance with an open architecture. In reality, however, for the entire network to be able to manage the spectrum independently, all of the manufacturers supplying transceivers to that client must cooperate," explains I.
The basis for the Cognitive Radio capability is Software-Defined Radio (SDR). Simplified, you manufacture a hardware MoDem that supports multiple frequencies, and the spectrum management is accomplished through software. This is a complex technology and numerous industries, in Israel and around the world, are currently working on the development of products based on it. In the past, dedicated hardware had to be 'locked' for each frequency range. This fact made radio transceivers bulky, heavy and costly and necessitated rigid manual management of the frequency spectrum.
"State-of-the-art Software-Defined Radio transceivers like ours come in several shapes and sizes. Everything from a transceiver for the individual trooper, through vehicular transceivers to transceivers for aircraft. In the era of the network-centric warfare, all of them share the same network. Another challenge faced by MANET-type networks is the effect of delay. Owing to the structure and function of the network, the delay interval in such networks is normally long and makes it difficult to transfer data and video. With the BNet system, we managed to solve this problem and demonstrated, in the recent trials conducted in Israel that it is possible to transmit six video channels and obtain a bandwidth of about 10 megabytes using our transceiver," says I.
Rafael's App Store
In addition to the dynamic spectrum management feature, the BNet system is based on a TCP/IP protocol. Although it is a communication protocol that requires authorizations and therefore regarded as more sensitive than UDP, Rafael managed to achieve that on the basis of a MANET-type network. The option of operating using a standard IP protocol makes the BNet system a battlefield Internet platform to all intents and purposes.
"On the basis of the BNet network, we developed an App store designated BNet Apps," says I. "It is an operational App store for the battlefield, which relies on the data communication capability of the BNet system. What apps are available? One of the apps is an operational app for helicopters. Helicopter pilots can share video streams and location data as well as share and assign targets. On top of that, they can communicate and use graphic aids to generate a graphic dialog – all during combat."
In order to resolve the known blockages MANET-type networks had suffered from, Rafael developed a network concept that regards the users of the network as a logical group. Under the IP of the radio transceiver, there is a frequency which undergoes time multiplexing. In the past, the network was a common frequency shared by all of the users, and then every network user competed against the others over time intervals. As the BNet system manages the frequency spectrum/time on its own, subject to a spectrum regime set forth in advance, the network becomes a logical group within the network management element.
"Everyone in the network can monitor multiple channels and the definition of the group becomes logical rather than channel-based. This enables us to transfer a larger amount of data in reception mode, in a manner similar to the asymmetry of home Internet. The downlink channel can be greater than the uplink channel. Over the bandwidth of a channel transmitting 1 MHz, we can provide the client with 1-2 megabytes net for data transfer purposes. The management overheads have decreased. The management mechanism has become simplified," explains I. "In one of the recent demonstrations we demonstrated different types of data on the same network. Multicast or Unicast, situational awareness or the transfer of files over TCP-IP."
Connecting Weapon Systems to the Network
The time required in order to deploy a MANET-type network is critical to the maneuvering forces as they operate in enemy territory where there is no cellular network, and the availability of satellite communication is inconclusive – but the forces still need to communicate among themselves. The network is established automatically. Before departing, every battalion/brigade commander defines the frequency range allocated to him. The software update is uploaded to all of the transceivers of that unit, and from that moment on, the BNet system will manage the spectrum automatically. "The troopers no longer have to carry a classified list of frequencies in their pockets," says I.
Following the preliminary definitions, the network is deployed according to the number of users in that network, with each user constituting an equal node within the network, capable of transmitting and receiving. As the number of nodes increases, the bandwidth is expected to undergo attenuation. "In most applications, the attenuation can go through several nodes. We developed the BNet system so that the applications would not be affected by attenuation," explains I. "We tested the delay effect of the network and the time constants in field trials, including a field trial for the IDF. In that trial, we also tested the recovery from situations of isolated islands in less than five seconds. The delay interval for each node does not exceed 100 milliseconds. This delay can accommodate real-time applications."
At Rafael, they do not like to elaborate on the capabilities of the BNet system when asked about the options of connecting operational weapon systems, but one can make the connection between the IDF 'fire space' concept and such communication capabilities. If a military organization wishes to implement network-centric warfare where no communication network is available, it will need a MANET-type network that does not depend on any external element – a network with a delay suitable for real-time applications – in order to transmit commands to the weapon systems connected to it.
The moment the military forces enter a territory where they are not the sovereign power and the regulator of the frequency spectrum, implementing a tactical cellular network becomes a challenge. Such a cellular network is built around "Citrons" – an area that provides service to all nodes within its receiving radius. Each "Citron" includes several cellular base stations, connected to a satellite or optical fiber channel. If it is an infantry battalion that operates outside of Israel, it will require the backs of several troopers or space on board the armored vehicles for mounting the "Citrons." Under ideal conditions, such a network may be able to provide advanced services, but if those "Citrons" should suddenly fail to operate, the entire network will collapse. That is the reason why military organizations do not hasten to enter maneuvering scenarios while relying on a communication network of this type.
The Objective: Dual Environment
If we were to review the military need, it would look like this: there is a cellular communication network in the sovereign territory of the state, and a MANET-type network in the enemy's territory, and a transceiver is required that would provide the user with the ability to switch between the two environments transparently. As long as you are in your own territory, your transceiver will connect to the network of the cellular service provider. As you enter the enemy's territory, the same transceiver will connect to the ad-hoc network independently. As far as the infantry trooper is concerned, the switch should be transparent, and for him, the applications should continue to operate without interruption. "The concept of a dual environment on the same transceiver is the direction in which we are heading," explains I. "With the BNet system, you can be an LTE cellular subscriber or a MANET user. The applications of the BNet Apps store are indifferent to the type of infrastructure."
