A -- Communications and Networking Science and Technology (D&I)

Communications technology that can provide seamless, robust, connectivity is at the foundation of the Sea Power 21 and FORCEnet Vision ?... to have the right information, at the right place, at the right time ...? The performance of Command and Control (C2) systems and decision making at all levels of command depend critically on reliable, interoperable, survivable, secure and timely communications and networking, and the availability of high capacity multimedia (voice, data, imagery) communication networks is fundamental to nearly all Department of Navy missions. The current evolution of naval warfighting from a platform-centric to a network-centric paradigm depends on successfully meeting the implied need for significantly enhanced communications and networking capabilities, extending both to fixed shore facilities and to highly mobile air, surface, land and subsurface platforms, including the so-called ?disadvantaged user?, e.g., small-deck combatants, submarines, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), dispersed ground units in urban and radio frequency (RF) challenged environments. The goal of the Communications and Networking Program within the Office of Naval Research (ONR 312) is to support the FORCEnet vision by developing measurable advances in technology that can directly enable and enhance end-to-end connectivity for mission-critical information exchange among such widely dispersed naval, joint and coalition forces.