Energy Efficient Real-Time Distributed Communication Architectures for Military Tactical Communication Systems

For military communication systems, it is important to achieve robust and energy efficient real-time communication among a group of mobile users without the support of a pre-existing infrastructure. Furthermore, these communication systems must support multiple communication modes, such as unicast, multicast, and network-wide broadcast, to serve the varied needs in military communication systems. One use for these military communication systems is in support of real-time mobile cloud computing, where the response time is of utmost importance; therefore, satisfying real-time communication requirements is crucial. In this chapter, we present a brief overview of military tactical communications and networking (MTCAN). As an important example of MTCAN, we present the evolution of the TRACE family of protocols, describing the design of the TRACE protocols according to the tactical communications and networking requirements. We conclude the chapter by identifying how the TRACE protocols can enable mobile cloud computing within military communication systems.