Tactical Wireless Communications and Networks: Design Concepts and Challenges

1.4 Tactical Networks Layers

The OSI model does not apply directly to the tactical networks for many reasons to include security and information assurance requirements. It is the US National Security Agent (NSA) that defines the Communications Security (ComSec) standards for IP-based networking. NSA defines the High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryption (HAIPE) as the standard for IP-based encryption. Notice that HAIPE differs from commercial Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) in many ways including hardware separation of the plain text IP layer and the cipher text IP layer. HAIPE is the GIG ComSec encryption. Notice also that coalition forces may be required to adhere to a form of ComSec similar to HAIPE. The introduction of ComSec in tactical networks creates two network layers at each node. One is the plain text network layer (sometimes referred to as the red IP layer) and the other is the cipher text network layer (sometimes referred to as the black IP layer) separated by the encryption layer. As will become clear later in this book, the plain text networks are separated from the cipher text core network, creating two independent networking layers. If we take the OSI model in Figure 1.1 and try to create a tactical networks equivalent, we would need to introduce some modification to include ComSec as a layer by itself since HAIPE standards require the plain text and cipher text IP layers to work independently, as separate entities. Also, in a tactical wireless networking protocol ...