Managing Next-Generation Open Standard Vehicle Electronics Architectures

Published in Military Embedded Systems

The new IP-based networking architect­ures being integrated into military ground vehicles are able to unify the communications and shared hosting of services that used to require discrete hardware devices. These network architectures are frequently derived from enterprise-class functions leveraging the robust networking capabilities, cyber­security maturity, and development pace, plus the innovation, research, and development developed for the commercial sector. These trends promise significant technology cost savings and an increased pace of modernization, but they also introduce complexity with respect to usability and manageability.

Newer on-vehicle integrated networks will be composed of heterogeneous networks (including functions such as routing, switching, timing/A-PNT, encryp­tion, cybersecurity, voice/video/data integration, remote control, sensor integration, logging, and more) in the form of software and equipment from multiple commercial vendors. Many networks have enormous feature sets in order to meet emerging interoperability and cyber­security requirements for Department of Defense (DoD) systems and will require a level of training and expertise for operation and maintenance that far exceeds available specialists.

In recent years, major efforts have been undertaken to develop comprehensive “standards-based communication,” such as Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY). These efforts address interoperability issues, databus functionality, and standardized messaging services for interconnected system components. But the resulting standards don’t typically address the network operation, configuration, and management challenges of hybrid (multi­media, multiclassification, multiplatform) DoD-ready networks themselves. Going forward, the complexity, downtime, and configuration errors in current and next-generation tactical and expeditionary command-and-control (C2) networks must be reduced.

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