Distributed Wireless Communications for Tactical Network Dominance

Abstract

Ad-hoc networks employing cooperative signal processing are configured for detecting and disrupting a target radio communication network. Such ad-hoc networks are particularly useful for identifying radio communication resources, establishing radio links, and subverting an adversary's communication capabilities in environments lacking available communication infrastructure, including battlefield environments, and locations where communication infrastructure is non-existent or has been compromised by natural disasters or terrorists attacks.

1 . A tactical network dominance (TND) transceiver, comprising:
 a radio receiver configured for detecting an external radio communication link;   a radio transmitter configured for coupling to the external radio communication link; and   network-communication circuitry configured for providing cooperative transceiver functionality with at least one other TND transceiver and directing the radio transmitter and the at least one other TND transceiver to disrupt the external radio communication link.   
     
     
         2 . The transceiver recited in  claim 1 , wherein the network-communication circuitry is further configured for coordinating the radio receiver and the at least one other TND transceiver to receive the external radio communication link. 
     
     
         3 . The transceiver recited in  claim 1 , wherein the non-passive tactical response directed by the network-communication circuitry comprises at least one of a set of actions, including transmitting a jamming signal, transmitting an altered radio signal received from the detected radio communication link, transmitting a spoofed signal, and performing a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. 
     
     
         4 . The transceiver recited in  claim 1 , wherein the network-communication circuitry is further configured for performing antenna array processing. 
     
     
         5 . The transceiver recited in  claim 1 , wherein the network-communication circuitry is further configured for encrypting and decrypting information shared with other TND transceivers. 
     
     
         6 . The transceiver recited in  claim 1 , further comprising computing circuitry configured to share information and provide for a clustered computing environment via the network-communication circuitry. 
     
     
         7 . A tactical network dominance method performed by a plurality of wireless transceivers communicatively coupled together, the method comprising:
 coordinating the plurality of wireless transceivers to cooperatively detect an external radio communication link;   identifying the external radio communication link; and   coordinating the plurality of wireless transceivers to disrupt the external radio communication link.   
     
     
         8 . The method recited in  claim 7 , wherein coordinating the plurality of wireless transceivers to disrupt the external radio communication link comprises at least one of a set of actions, the set including notifying personnel, sending codes to activate or deactivate automated systems, tracking users of the external radio communication link, and generating a visual representation of data gathered by the plurality of wireless transceivers. 
     
     
         9 . The method recited in  claim 7 , wherein coordinating the plurality of wireless transceivers to disrupt the external radio communication link is dynamically reconfigurable based on at least one of transceiver locations, historical value ranges, and recent measurements. 
     
     
         10 . A server computer configured to perform the method of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable medium comprising a program code configured to perform the method of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable medium comprising a program code for causing a computer system to collect radio-signal data from a plurality of transceivers, perform signal processing on the radio-signal data for detecting radio transmissions, perform an identification function on detected radio transmissions for determining at least one external radio communication source, and coordinate the plurality of transceivers to disrupt the at least one external radio communication source. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium recited in  claim 12 , wherein the computer system comprises the plurality transceivers, each of the plurality of transceivers having computational capabilities. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium recited in  claim 12 , wherein signal processing comprises determining the presence of energy signatures in a predetermined spectral region. 
     
     
         15 . A communication network, comprising:
 a plurality of transceivers configured for communicating with each other and for detecting an external radio communication network; and   network-communication circuitry residing on the plurality of transceivers, configured for coordinating the plurality of transceivers to disrupt the external radio communication network.   
     
     
         16 . The communication network recited in  claim 14 , wherein the network-communication circuitry is configured for performing cooperative antenna array processing. 
     
     
         17 . The communication network recited in  claim 14 , wherein the network-communication circuitry residing on each of the plurality of transceivers is configured for searching for, and identifying other transceivers, and creating a secure communication network with the other transceivers. 
     
     
         18 . The communication network recited in  claim 14 , comprising at least one transceiver that is not used for detecting the external radio communication network but is used for performing computational processing.