Advanced Emulation Accelerates Deployment of Military Network Technologies for US Army


- Network emulator brings new capability to large-scale testing of battlefield network technologies -

LOS ANGELES -- The US Army will soon be conducting a series of network developmental exercises and evaluations at Fort Bliss, TX and White Sands Missile Range that are intended to evaluate technologies and integrate programs into a larger tactical network for faster, more efficient communications.

A hindrance to staging complex exercises like this for operational testing of new net-centric technologies has historically been a severe scarcity of live radios. Expensive and rare at this stage of evolution, a significant quantity of functional radios is essential for testing performance in a large-scale (hundreds to perhaps thousands of devices) "system of systems" network.

Addressing this gap is a new software capability based on advanced network emulation technology that enables these kinds of pre-deployment, large-scale operational tests with few or without any real radios on hand. Developed by Scalable Network Technologies under a SBIR Phase 2.5 contract from JPEO JTRS, JNE (JTRS Network Emulator) is a new tool for testing and evaluating ad-hoc military communication networks in dynamic, highly realistic ways. Because JNE emulates the JTRS (and other) waveforms with complete realism, it can "virtually size-up" the network to a scale that is representative of the intensity and distribution of network traffic typical of battlefield deployments.

The JNE emulated network performs with all the complexity and realism of a real network - in real time, using a realistic traffic mix that would be generated by battle command applications. Because of the degree of fidelity, JNE can be integrated in live exercises using real hardware, real users, real applications, and connected to real networks.

Immediate payout from JNE includes accelerated development cycle time and cost-savings. Over the long run, rigorously tested system integration will result in robust and predictable network performance for the Soldier. Other uses that are part of the US Army and Joint Forces vision for JNE include advances in warfighter training, as well as testing and analysis of emerging software defined radio and network-centric systems.

According to the Army's vice chief of staff, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, "The network is now the Army's highest modernization priority. Having every Soldier plugged into the tactical network and giving them means to access and distribute information would give the Army a tremendous advantage [over our adversaries]."

For more information on JNE or other Scalable Network Technology products, contact the company at info@scalable-networks.com or call 310.703.1335.

About Scalable Network Technologies

Scalable Network Technologies (SNT) is the leader in parallel processing technology for network performance emulation. The company develops and supports high-fidelity emulation software tools used for predicting the performance of computing and communications networks and network devices. SNT has created a new category of evaluation tools for today's sophisticated networks that meets the demand for real-time, real-network performance testing, including QualNet(TM), EXata(TM), EXata/cyber and VisNet.

Customers include a blue chip list of major aerospace and defense contractors, the US Department of Defense, mobile network operators, research agencies and universities.

Founded in 1999 and based in Los Angeles CA, Scalable Network Technologies is a privately owned corporation. QualNet is a registered trademark of Scalable Network Technologies, Inc. More information on the company is available at www.scalable-networks.com.

Media Contact:
Camille Cox
OnRamp Communications
camille@onrampcomm.com
805.497.6400

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