Network Centric Operations: The Role of Satellite Communications

Abstract

Nowadays there are new common challenges and objectives for the Defence and Security communities: new forms of conflicts, new players, new tasks, augmented speed of technological innovation. The NCO concept requires to implement the so called Network Enabled Capabilities (NEC): this means to better exploit the different assets (already operational or in acquisition) and to make them interoperable to allow an efficient information exchange for the interconnection of every node (People, Weapons, Sensor or C2) wherever located in the world. In this context, the SatCom segment (e.g. the Italian Sicral System), represents a valuable asset and the adequate solution to interconnect in a flexible manner the mentioned nodes. Today, transparent repeaters, similar to the ones available on Sicrall satellite, are available, with some limitations in terms of network flexibility and traffic handling. The paper proposes the adoption, in the near future, of the Processed EHF/KA Satellites (e.g. the Fidus Mission Satellite), and as long term solution, the Processed and IP Routing EHF/KA Satellites, to implement flexible network configurations as well as IP routing for maximum resource utilization; indeed the processing of the IP packets on board, as usually performed by IP routers on ground, allows to better support delay sensitive traffic and services.