Military Wireless Communications Current Research

Experiments

• Experiment at TNT Camp Roberts February 13-17, 2012 UAV with Wave Relay -- Experiment to provide Communication to ground troops ( pdf ).

Thesis Research

• Verification and Validation of the Malicious Activity Simulation Tool (MAST) for Network Administrator Training and Evaluation, Lt. Justin Neff, CDR. James Hammond, et.el.

  Summary: The DoD currently employs Red Teams to conduct network infiltration and security training for network administrators and operators. Red Teams provide the most realistic and thorough training to defend against real world threats and we are developing a system to mimic this highly trained adversary based on the proof of concept framework developed by CDR Will Taff and LCDR Paul Salevski.
  This thesis is meant to perform a verification and validation analysis of the suitability of the MALWARE Mimic concept as a methodology for conducting network administrator network security training and awareness, alleviation of Red Team availability constraints, and network user security awareness training. We also develop a strategy by which the effectiveness of the MALWARE Mimic system for increasing such network security awareness and elevating the information assurance posture of distributed command networks can be measured.

  Key words: Network Security, Training, MALWARE Mimic, MAST

  Thesis Advisers: John Gibson, jhgibson@nps.edu

• Media Independent Handover Services, Maj. Mike Ohleger

  Summary: Research existing and emerging technologies to provide IEEE 802.21 standard, Media Independent Handover Services to existing systems deployed by the Defense Information Systems Agency. Functionality and feasibility of such technologies and their integration into a system that currently provides Full Motion Video to the user are the main focus of this research.

  Key words: forensics, mobile devices, cell phones

  Thesis Advisers: Geoff Xie, xie@nps.edu

• Rapidly Developed Cell Phone Applications, Maj. Rogelio Oregon

  Summary: The United States Marine Corps (USMC) could benefit from wartime communications from the exploration of potentially combining communication capabilities in a single device by leveraging commercial off the shelf (COTS) software, hardware and existing network infrastructure. This thesis seeks to resolve this gap in capabilities by providing a platform agnostic fire support application that serves as a proof of concept for rapidly developable applications that have immediate positive impact providing enhanced warfighter capability.

  Key words: mobile devices, military cell phone application

  Advisers: Doug Mackinnon djmackin@nps.edu, John Gibson jhgibson@nps.edu

• Cloud-based Collaborative Communications Planning, Capt. Joni Pepin and Maj. Tarrell Giersch

  Summary: To improve the Marine Corps communications planning process by designing a software model that enables a more efficient planning work flow. It accomplishes this by by addressing three areas: automating redundant processes and error-checking, increasing the level of real-time collaboration between planners, and reducing duplicate work through providing a means of interoperability between existing disjoint planning applications. The system will take advantage of the benefits offered through the use web-based applications and services

  Key words: Communications Planning

  Thesis Advisers: Man-tak Shing shing@nps.edu John Gibson, jhgibson@nps.edu

• Utilizing Android Based Devices to Increase Situational Awareness in Disaster Relief, CPT Drew Abell

  Summary: This thesis will study how best to implement Android based devices to increase Situational Awareness by constructing a Common Operational Picture to assist in Disaster Relief Efforts. The main focus will be on utilizing mobile Android devices (smartphones/tablets) positioning Satellite (GPS) capabilities, mapping functions, and data transfer to track and display user locations in the field

  Key words: Situational Awareness, mobile application, military smart phone application, and disaster response

  Thesis Advisers: Gurminder Singh, gsingh@nps.edu John Gibson, jhgibson@nps.edu

• Connecting Land-Based Networks to Ships, LT Panagiotis Chatzigiannis

  Summary: Most ships today have built-in local-area networks (LANs) that support ship's basic informational needs. Navy ships, for example, have a LAN that is used for combat systems integration or for message distribution. The usefulness and functionally of the LAN can be extended significantly if that LAN could become a subnet of a land-based network.
  There are three ways proposed to implement a network connection between a ship and a land-based network: satellite communications, WiMAX and cellular networks (either 3G or 2G). Each of these operates differently and has a different cost, range, access throughput and reliability.
  This thesis will demonstrate how a ship's LAN can be connected to a land-based network, will describe what equipment/hardware is needed and will present a thorough analysis of each proposed connection implementation. This thesis will further do a comparison among them in terms of cost, range, data rates and reliability. For navy ships, this thesis will also suggest suitable LAN networking topologies which ensure high effectiveness under their operational needs.

  Key words: satellite, WiMAX, navy ship, cellular networks

  Thesis Advisers: Gurminder Singh, gsingh@nps.edu John Gibson, jhgibson@nps.edu

• mobile Phone Coupled with Remote Sensors for Surveillance, LT Brad Williford

  Summary: Deployed units need portable and simple ways to collect and view real-time information of nearby areas of interest. Sensors can be used to collect information about personnel/vehicle movements, illicit activity, and/or indications and warnings of activities where they're deployed. This thesis is meant to show the viability of using a common Android device to wirelessly view information collected by remote sensors used for surveillance

  Key words: Android, sensors, Phidgets, Wi-Fi, wireless, surveillance

  Advisers: Gurminder Singh gsingh@nps.edu John Gibson jhgibson@nps.edu

• Improving Situational Awareness and Response times in Battle field and desaster response scenarios, LT. Michael Asche

  Summary: Tentatively this research will investigate how best to improve situational awareness to increase reaction times and efficiency in military operations and disaster response and will attempt to create a proof of concept application.

  Key words: Situational Awareness mobile application, military cell phone application

  Advisers: John Gibson jhgibson@nps.edu

MWC Sponsored Research

• AD HOC P2P on Android -- CSUMB, C.S.I.T. Program pdf

  Summary: In conjunction with the NPS C.S. Department MWC Group, this research looks at establishing an Ad Hoc Peer-to-Peer network on cell phones, specifically using the Android OS. Work comprised of Android Device, Library, and Application Design. The Library used was AODV (Ad Hoc on demand Distance Vector) and hardware devices must be controlled directly in addition to application enhancements. A prototype has been created and communication was achieved. Future work to include enhancements to control hardware, neighbor discovery, security, portability, and seamless integration into Android.

  POC: John H. Gibson, Senior Lecturer NPS, jhgibson@nps.edu
  Sathya Narayanan, Ph.D., Professor CSUMB
  YoungJoon Byun, Ph.D., Professor CSUMB

• Disruption Tolerant Networks -- NPS MWC Group, and CSUMB, C.S.I.T. Program NPS Overview , CSUMB Brief

  Summary: In conjunction with the NPS, C.S. Department MWC Group, the objective of this research is to devolope a DTN protocol to allow messaging between front line troops, to develop message prioritization algorithms for DTN routing, and to Develop analytical and simulation models to study related performance parameters: Duplicate messages in the network at the time of delivery, End to end latency of message delivery, and Probability of message delivery.

  POC: Geoff Xie, Professor Computer Science, NPS xie@nps.edu
  Sathya Narayanan, Ph.D., Professor CSUMB
  YoungJoon Byun, Ph.D., Professor CSUMB

• Caller Identification via Voice and word -- NPS, C.S. Dept. pdf

  Summary: This Research goal is caller identification using voice and network. This research uses some open source libraries including MARF and by building a Bayesian Network for caller ID. A prototype has been produced.

  POC: Dennis Volpano, Associate Professor Computer Science, NPS volpano@nps.edu

• Smart Phones as Inexpensive Sensors -- NPS, C.S. Dept. pdf

  Summary: This Research goal is to find out how best to replace expensive sensors with "Off the Shelf" cell phones, and which sensors and phones may be the best to use.

  POC: Neil Rowe, Professor Computer Science, NPS ncrowe@nps.edu
  Gurminder Singh, Professor Computer Science, NPS gsingh@nps.edu

• Adoption of LPSK for Atom Platform -- NPS, C.S. Dept. pdf

  Summary: The Goal of the work was to port the original LPSK (Least Privilege Separation Kernel) prototype developed by the MYSEA group at NPS as part of the TCX project to PC platforms that have the Intel Atom processor, which is a small low-power integrated circuit that will eventually make its way into small, embedded devices. Because the Intel Atom is x86- based, the effort was focused mainly on getting the LPSK to run on modern PC architecture.

  POC: Paul C. Clark pcclark@nps.edu

Other Current Research

• Disaster Management Initiative Workshop -- NPS IS/IW Dept., Hastily Formed Networks Center, HFN Center

  MWC Equipment used: Harris 7800 "On the Move" BGAN

  Summary: As part of the Carnegie Mellon University Disaster Management Initiative DMI and California Chief's Association Mobile Communications Vehicle rally and Disaster Management Initiative Workshop, May 22-23, 2011, HFN Center along with Cisco demonstrated a satellite based scenario and architecture that incorporates data on the move, Internet Protocol video and distribution of network access across a geographic area using a combination of Mesh WiFI and WiMax technologies.

  POC: Brian Steckler steckler@nps.edu

• Quadrotor Research -- NPS SE Dept., Advanced Robotic Systems Engineering Laboratory

  MWC Equipment used: Pelican Quadrotor

  Summary: The Ascending Technologies quadrotors represent an increasingly ubiquitous platform for aerial robotics research in the robotic systems community and is used at numerous institutions (e.g., UPenn, MIT, CCNY). The objective of our work is to integrate existing drivers, controllers, and software utilities available in open source robotics software, namely the Robot Operating System (ROS, www.ros.org). In addition to demonstrating interoperability and ease of integration, the use of ROS leverages a framework which already includes software for guidance and navigation, ground control, message passing, visualization, data collection, sensor integration, and low-level driver interfaces. Current efforts include successful use of ROS for communication with sensors (e.g., laser scanners, web cameras, depth sensors like the Microsoft Kinect) and with other robotic (ground) platforms. Other current efforts include integration of ROS in a fixed wing aerial platform, such as the Procerus Unicorn. Given this extensive experience, our research group is prepared to integrate ROS with the Pelican upon its return from a loan to the Center for Autonomous Vehicles Research.

  Advisor: Tim Chung, PHD Associate Professor, thchung@nps.edu

• Man Portable UAS in support of Counter Sniper Operations -- NPS MAE Dept. CAVR

  MWC Equipment used: 2 Pelican Quad Rotors

  Summary: The objective is to identify design requirements for a weaponized man portable unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in support of counter sniper operations. The majority UAS within the DOD inventory are man portable. Man portable UAS are extremely attractive because of their small lightweight design which permits the common soldier to carry the entire system (UAS, Payloads, Batteries, and ground control station) inside of a single backpack. The focus of our experimentation is to mount a small non-lethal proof of concept weapon onto the Pelican. This will allow us to determine the advantages and disadvantages to the platform.

  Advisor: Doug Horner dphorner@nps.edu POC: Aurelio Monarrez, amonarre@nps.edu

• The dispersal of Tagging, Tracking, Locating, and Identification (TTLI) Systems in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations -- NPS MAE Dept. CAVR

  MWC Equipment used: 2 Pelican Quad Rotors

  Summary: The objective is to determine the capability, and degree of effectiveness, of using an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to deliver a chemical tag to a target area or person of interest making them detectable through the use of a Tagging, Tracking, Locating, and Identification (TTLI) system. TTLI systems are made up of two distinct components that make them useful in improving Information, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), and Target Acquisition (TA) in the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE). First, the taggant portion of TTLI systems, available in liquid, encapsulated, spray, powder, and triggered release forms, are detected with the second portion of TTLI systems, made up of sensors designed to identify the unique chemical signature or optical wavelengths of the corresponding taggants. Our experimentation will determine the functionality and practicality of the Pelican platform for delivering chemical taggants.

  Advisor: Doug Horner dphorner@nps.edu POC: Aurelio Monarrez, amonarre@nps.edu