Maximizing the probability of message delivery over ever-changing communication scenarios in tactical networks

Abstract

This letter introduces a stochastic model to maximize the probability of message delivery over ever-changing communication scenarios in tactical networks. Our model improves modern tactical systems implementing store-and-forward mechanisms organized in a hierarchy of layers for messages, IP packets and radios. The goal is to estimate the optimum redundancy for the user data-flow to overcome packet loss during changes in the link data rate, including disconnections. Experiments in a VHF network illustrate the numerical results from our model using messages with different sizes over two patterns of data rate change.