UBIQUITIOUS, RESILIENT, SECURE CONNECTIVITY IN THE NEAR-PEER THREAT ENVIRONMENT

Transcription

1 2018 Viasat White Paper August 27, 2018 UBIQUITIOUS, RESILIENT, SECURE CONNECTIVITY IN THE NEAR-PEER THREAT ENVIRONMENT With Hybrid Adaptive Networking By Craig Miller Vice President, Chief Technical Officer

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... 4 Hybrid Adaptive Network What Is It?... 4 Hybrid Adaptive Network How Does It Work?... 5 Flexibility & Future-Proofing... 7 Conclusion... 8

3 TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1. Example of Hybrid Adaptive Networking... 4 Figure 2. Enabling Technologies for Hybrid Adaptive Networking... 6 Figure 3. Interconnected Multi-Domain Battle Operations... 7

4 INTRODUCTION Adversaries including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have spent nearly two decades studying the U.S. military s strengths and vulnerabilities as it has fought terrorist groups. Those nations have invested in modernizing their forces preparing them to exploit vulnerabilities Our advantage has steadily eroded. Gen. Mark Milley, the U.S. Army s chief of staff The threat of competition with our near-peer adversaries is advancing at an alarming rate. While the U.S. focused on fighting insurgent groups in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, our near-peer adversaries were investing in modernizing their forces and exploiting technologies that have become cheaper and more readily available. That s why the battlefield network of the future requires a ubiquitous, resilient, secure communications architecture that will enable multi-domain operations integrating traditional air, land, and sea offensives with more advanced cybersecurity and space initiatives. Before we discuss how this is accomplished, this white paper will introduce the Hybrid Adaptive Network (HAN) concept a flexible service delivery platform that meets the U.S. Department of Defense s (DoD) long term goal: a unified network that can connect everything from the enterprise to the edge, provides an easy way to optimize and incrementally upgrade existing assets, and also has the flexibility to adapt to emerging/expanding technologies to outpace near-peer adversary threats. HYBRID ADAPTIVE NETWORK WHAT IS IT? A Hybrid Adaptive Network is composed of multiple communications networks that warfighters can simultaneously access. This is similar in concept to how mobile device users roam freely between multiple cellular networks without losing their connections. The component transport networks that make up the HAN can be either commercial communications networks, purpose-built military communications networks, or a combination of both. FIGURE 1. EXAMPLE OF HYBRID ADAPTIVE NETWORKING

5 These networks may span multiple orbital regimes, operate over multiple frequency bands, provide independent terrestrial infrastructure, and feature different network management and cyber defense implementations. All of these factors contribute to the inherent diversity of the HAN and removes any single points of failure and/or attack. The user population of a HAN will organically be spread across multiple transport networks, making it very difficult for an adversary to target their communications capabilities for collection, exploitation, or denial. This built-in resiliency provides deterrence capabilities and the ability to easily maneuver users of the communications network, imposing increased time, effort, and cost for any adversary. HYBRID ADAPTIVE NETWORK HOW DOES IT WORK? There are three key enabling technologies that facilitate the operation of Hybrid Adaptive Networks: Multi-Mode User Terminals Flexible, interoperable user terminals that can operate over multiple radio frequency bands (X, Ku, Ka, Mil-Ka, etc.) and support multiple network protocols/waveforms (EBEM, PTW, DVB-S2, and other private sector waveforms) are a keystone technology for any hybrid network implementation. These terminals must be able to quickly switch from one operating band and/or protocol to another without human intervention to provide seamless access to the component networks within the HAN. These capabilities are already being developed and fielded by private sector communications providers today. For example, both mobile and fixed Ku-/Ka-band terminals operate over ultra-high capacity Kaband networks, WGS, and other 3rd party Ku- and Ka-band satellite networks today. In addition to performance and flexibility, software- defined terminals can switch between multiple networks and retain interoperability, providing a low-risk transition path to Hybrid Adaptive Networking by allowing incremental upgrades to the installed terminal base; subsets of terminals can be upgraded while maintaining compatibility with the existing installed base. Hybrid Adaptive Network Management The HAN management provides the overarching service delivery platform for the HAN user. The HAN manager monitors the demands of the individual users, the availability of resources through the component networks, and assigns users to the transport network that most efficiently meets their needs at any given time. The HAN manager will select one network over others for a given user based on mission parameters (the need to operate in a contested environment or the need for LPI/LPD operations) or network parameters (maximum data rate, congestion, availability, and cost per bit). The nature of hybrid networking is such that the best network will change based on user demands, geography, economics, and time.

6 Modern private-sector network management systems already have the capability to provide control and detailed situational awareness to the individual Personal Electronic Device for a variety of populations with millions of users. The HAN manager will inherit these capabilities, providing a detailed Common Operational Picture and the ability to manage individual users, regardless of which component network they are currently using. Open Standard Network Interface To participate in the Hybrid Adaptive Network, the individual component networks must provide a means of receiving commands from and reporting status to the Hybrid Adaptive Network Manager. A key component of a viable HAN architecture is an Open Standard Network Interface that specifies the type and structure of the information that can be exchanged between the Hybrid Network Manager and the component networks within the hybrid network. An open standard interface allows the Hybrid Network Manager to control multiple networks with a single set of commands, allowing new component networks to be added to the hybrid network without changes to the Hybrid Network Manager. With a simple, scalable interface at the network layer (such as an XML schema, or similar framework), transport networks that wish to participate in the Hybrid Adaptive Network need to only construct a Translation Agent, which is a software layer that translates the networks native control and status facilities into the format defined in the Open Standard Network Interface. Software translation agents can be created quickly and inexpensively without changes to proprietary networks or their management systems. However, if a network s management system is already compatible with the Open Standard Interface, a Translation Agent is not necessary. Network layer interoperability as described in this HAN approach is common practice and has been proven over many years in the private sector cellular/mobile network infrastructure employed by billions of users globally today. FIGURE 2. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR HYBRID ADAPTIVE NETWORKING

7 FLEXIBILITY AND FUTURE-PROOFING With the HAN concept, innovation in current/future communications networks is not constrained as compatibility requirements are not placed inside the individual communications networks. There is no waveform or over-the-air protocol specification, and no internal management or routing requirements. Individual network providers are free to architect their networks as they see fit. This approach is fundamental to maximizing the number of networks that are compatible with the Hybrid Adaptive Network, allowing users to leverage the exponential pace of innovation by the private sector, while simultaneously developing future DoD purpose-built networks of their own. As new networks evolve over time and become viable participants for the Hybrid Network, the DoD can transition from the current acquisition-based model (vendor lock) to an ongoing market-based competition among network providers. This sets up an open-standards marketplace for satellite services for the DoD, reduces the risk of adding new types of networks in the future, and provides an easy path to interoperability. FIGURE 3. INTERCONNECTED MULTI-DOMAIN BATTLE OPERATIONS

8 CONCLUSION Hybrid Adaptive Networks can provide the provide the DoD with a flexible, scalable communications system that meets the long-term goal for a unified network that connects everything from the enterprise to the edge, is easy to upgrade and to use, but is also hard for enemies to take down. Even with today s more advanced networks, they are still setup in a way that is simple enough to configure and operate: point the antenna and apply power to the terminal. The network does the rest automatically, including authentication, bandwidth management, acceleration, and traffic routing. Hybrid Networks will also inherit the simplicity and ease-of-use from the modern private sector networks they employ, making them easy for warfighters to deploy and operate in any environment. The core technologies that the Hybrid Adaptive Networking s foundational elements rely on have already been fielded in the private sector and will continue to evolve. For example, Viasat s multi-mission satellite and hybrid Ka- and Ku-band aviation satcom terminals exist today, and future terminals will be even more flexible and capable. Hybrid network management is also used by thousands of commercial and military aircraft each day as they roam across Viasat s multi-satellite, multi-band constellation. With today s private sector technology, Hybrid Adaptive Networks can be demonstrated and deployed to provide seamless roaming across the best of both commercial and government networks. These networks can be incrementally deployed and constantly improved, providing unmatched security, capacity, and economy; allowing the DoD to bring communications to the fight anywhere, at any time. For more information on the benefits delivered by Viasat s Hybrid Adaptive Networking, please contact Craig Miller, Vice President, Chief Technical Officer at: E. Craig.Miller@viasat.com T