Commercial Cellular Systems Architecture for Dismounted Battle Command

As compared to their mounted peers, dismounted soldiers lack effective radio communications, situation awareness displays, and request or reporting systems that integrate with other elements of the combined arms team. This project looks to emerging commercial technologies for mobile cellular networks as a cost effective means to fill these gaps. These technologies are in wide use across the international commercial sector and allow robust and high bandwidth communications in a very small package. They are employed in all types of terrain, and international standards have emerged that allow communications between disparate systems. The study team concluded that a brigade/battalion owned CDMA network delivered the most value at the lowest cost as compared to Nett Warrior systems. This is a standalone unclassified network owned by the brigade. The brigade decides who to allow to enter the network and what information to provide on that network. The network consists of static cell towers on bases, mobile cell towers in vehicles, and if necessary, dismounted cell towers covering small patrols.