Published in Military Embedded Systems
Written by David Gregory
Secure wireless communications (SWC) technology for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-end user device (V2E) communication is useful for tactical environments as it improves network flexibility and operational maneuverability while reducing management complexity and cost. As seen in the commercial market, securely implementing wireless local area network (WLAN) communication opens the door for innovative solutions to existing and future operational challenges.
The goal of SWC is to provide controlled access to classified or controlled unclassified information (CUI) over any RF transport in the field, between vehicles and end users alike. Secure yet simplified system deployment, node integration, managed accessibility, network situational awareness, and configuration management are all a must for maintainability. Future ground-vehicle platforms, such as Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2), Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV), Manned Fighting Vehicle (MFV), and Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCV) – will definitely improve fleet speed and mobility and ripe for improvements in SWC. These ground vehicle programs will greatly benefit from vehicle-mounted secure wireless communication architectures using small-form-factor, rugged, modular open systems approach (MOSA) commercial off-the-shelf technologies (COTS) to interconnect vehicles, tents, users, and the like while maintaining sufficient security postures to meet various cybersecurity objectives.