Network Operates Despite Disruptions

Raytheon BBN Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Co., successfully transmitted voice and data across a wireless mobile ad hoc network that was in a constant state of flux. The demonstration mimics the challenges faced by military networks under actual tactical conditions. The results represent an achievement for the Wireless Network After Next (WNaN) program, sponsored by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Jason Redi, WNaN Principal Investigator for Raytheon BBN Technologies, notes that "The results prove that WNaN works in the field with affordable, commercially available radios. We are one step closer to getting this much needed, first-of-its-kind technology to the battlefield." The WNaN network operates on low-cost radio hardware to establish a wireless network that adapts to changing conditions and enables warfighters to communicate on the battlefield despite frequent disruptions and high demand. The field experiment included operating 10 WNaN mobile handheld radios in multiple simultaneous call groups.