THE PROSPECT OF MESH NETWORKS IN MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS
THE PROSPECT OF MESH NETWORKS IN MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS

Summary/Abstract: The article considers the importance of mesh networks in military communications, in the context of the network-centric warfare. Firstly, a wireless mesh network - WMN is presented as a new way to interconnect nodes by radio, in networks whose coverage zones overlap. Moreover, the main characteristics and types of WMN architectures are presented. Secondly, some of the main advantages and disadvantages of WMNs are listed. The most important advantage is that networks are no longer dependent on a single point of failure, while the disadvantages are common to all wireless networks, lower traffic capacity, possibility to be intercepted and influenced by propagation conditions being some of them. In conclusion, WMNs are adequate in situations when wires cannot be used and they respond to the changes in the size and composition of the unit in the battlefield. Therefore, mesh networks are expected to be used on a large scale in the future, in the Romanian Armed Forces included, as it is stipulated in the Romanian Armed Forces Transformation Strategy.

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