BTU RESEARCH LLC — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: AF20C-TCSO1

Description

Operations, command, control and communications must continue even in the face of previously-unknown vulnerabilities (e.g., imperfections in systems), adversary-created vulnerabilities (e.g., defense system compromise, insider threat, social engineering), and environmental compromises (e.g., natural and human-precipitated disasters). Building systems resistant to compromise must be a first order concern; however, it cannot be the sole mechanism for defense.  Resilient systems must assume unpredictable compromise of individual element. To handle the case of failure, such systems must provide heterogenous redundancy so that the roles of failed elements can be assumed by others. To adapt to the case where redundant elements are sufficiently degraded such that they cannot replace all functionality, resilient systems must provide for graceful degradation, which involves adapting to diminished capacity. In a natural disaster that compromises wireless communication infrastructure, you might prioritize emergency responder traffic over "normal" traffic. You might also reduce the quality of existing communication We propose to provide a resilient battle network technology with redundancies and to maintain the continuity of Command, Control and Communications. Developing a network platform that is resilient, redundant and physically robust to maintain continuity of the intelligent digital infrastructure of the battle network. We will begin this effort with a well-established platform that will be augmented with additional computational and communications abilities.   The BTU Device (BTUD) is: Rugedized Layer 3 switch Remote Intelligent Power wireless and wired communication, including L2 and L3 functionality  sensor capability such as cameras satellite uplink These are designed to allow the switch to be an active and autonomous solution for the overall facility strategy for cyber resilience. Even though these advanced mesh network platforms become the best available to any military, the potential of becoming partioned from the Command structure must be provided for.  In such an event, the surviving network platform must maintain continuity of  intelligent digital infrastructure.