Tactical Wireless Communications and Networks: Design Concepts and Challenges

Chapter 9

Open Architecture Details

The open architecture model for tactical networks, introduced in the previous chapter, requires added features and interface control document (ICD) definitions. In this chapter we will detail these ICDs and address the needs of the plain text IP layer for additional features not defined within the standard IP protocols. Figure 9.1 shows the three relevant ICDs to the plain text IP layer taken from Figure 8.2. These ICDs are:

• ICD I, which defines the interface adhered to by user traffic flow between the plain text IP layer and HAIPE (see Section 8.3.1.1).
• ICD V, which defines the peer relationship between the plain text IP layer of different nodes (see Section 8.3.2.1).
• ICD X, which defines cross layer signaling between the plain text IP layer and cipher text IP layer through the HAIPE domain guard (see Section 8.3.2.5).

Figure 9.1 Three ICDs relevant to the plain text IP layer.

The reason for such an emphasis on the plain text IP layer will become clear as we go through this chapter. We will define the plain text IP layer as it relates to the tactical edge. The cipher text IP layer and its ICDs form another critical component of the open architecture approach. Many of the needed cipher text IP layer capabilities were discussed with WNW in Chapter 6. We will address the cipher text IP layer, in this chapter, in regard to how it relates to the ...