The SCIP Interoperability Tests in Realistic Heterogeneous Environment

Abstract

The secure communications strategy originating from the NNEC (NATO Network Enabled Capability) concept assumes the use of effective and safe transport mechanisms at various levels of the heterogeneous C2 (Command and Control) NATO systems [1]. SCIP (Secure Communication Interoperability Protocol) was introduced by NATO as the primary standard for secure communication between different network devices through networks with restricted bandwidth [2]. The implementation of the SCIP protocol in various end devices requires the unification of transmission and signalling procedures as well as the methods of coding the speech signal. The main challenge associated with this issue is therefore the interoperability of the available SCIP implementations. Studies concerning the practical implementation of SCIP protocol are much fewer in number than theoretical ones. This paper is therefore focused on interoperability testing of practical SCIP implementation in heterogeneous networks with restricted bandwidth. A set of interoperability tests, including call set – up and limits of voice transmission are proposed as well. Results of these tests are then analysed and compared with ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and NATO recommendations.