FREE SPACE OPTICS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NETWORK STACK WITHIN AN RF-DENIED ENVIRONMENT

The objective of this research is to understand the abilities and limitations of communication in a radio frequencies (RF)-denied environment, especially with regard to the network stack. The next generation of warfare with another state actor will require non-traditional communication and extra security methods. RF and wired communications can be destroyed, jammed or not suitable. Free-space optics (FSO) provides the potential for high-speed communication between networks in an RF-denied environment. A visual link of an array of lasers can send data by oscillating visual patterns at high frequencies and cannot be captured without the enemy being directly between transmitter and receiver. This research explores the usage of FSO with traditional network-based protocols. The results show that it is possible to achieve two-way visual communication using FSO and traditional network protocols. Hardware currently limits the visual link capacity, preventing acceptable data rates for normal network operations. This thesis recommends hardware updates that can advance this system to acceptable network speeds. With the implementation of specialized hardware and software, FSO visual communication can support high internet bandwidths with integrated physical security.http://archive.org/details/freespaceopticsi1094562723Ensign, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited