DEFENCE IoT APPLICATIONS - CREATING THE PROVERBIAL ‘UBIQUITOUS NETWORK’

“The Internet of Things is not a concept; it is a network, the true technology-enabled Network of all Networks.”

- Edewede Oriwoh¹

Introduction

The Internet of Things (IoT)is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines.² IoT envisions a self-configuring, adaptive, complex network that interconnects ‘things’ to the internet through the use of standard communication protocols.³ IoT has been one of the biggest technology disruptors for many industries with its ‘Connected Devices framework.’ The applicability of this disruptive technology in defence sectors is still in nascent stage.

With the maturing of technologies that enable IoT, it is only a matter of time that defence IoT applications are developed and deployed for Indian Armed Forces. However, the proliferation in numbers and types of IoT devices would complicate the problem of providing ubiquitous networking capabilities. The traditional networks that are in use in the Indian Armed Forces would be insufficient in providing the necessary connectivity to these applications and devices. For example, a specific- use case of IoT in the Navy would be the introduction of end devices (decision aids) to a Boarding Party/MARCOs Prahar which would help them in their tasks through connectivity to the Command and Control (C2) system on a ship or shore station. Therefore, it is pertinent to put in place a new segment of ‘Ubiquitous Network’ with adequate reliability and security which ensures interoperability between edge devices.

IoT for Defence Applications. The civilian applications of IoT are proliferating already, thus optimising and streamlining daily life. It would run in the background and be all pervasive (like electricity in present times), not to be realised or felt as a separate ‘technology’ in future.⁴ IoT boom is predicted to revolutionise almost all sectors in about two decades, to an extent that almost every tech-gadget will function through IoT (Fig 1).

Fig 1: Proliferation of devices and applications in the Internet of Things (IoT)⁵

IoT in Modern Battlespace. Just like in civilian domains, modern military operations have also shifted to the primacy of interconnected devices and networked operations. The 1991 Gulf War was the first modern war which introduced the concept of network centric warfare, and which also showcased what could probably be the first primitive IoT application concept for military logistics. This was an AI-based networked logistics system called Dynamic Analysis and Re-planning Tool (DART), as claimed by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).⁶

Possible areas of IoT Applications in Military. Advancements in cutting edge technologies such as AI, cloud computing, wireless sensor networks and in space would be crucial in the proliferation of defence IoT applications. These developments would bring in a very high efficiency in war-fighting capability which is disproportionate to the costs involved. Some of the most relevant applications of IoT in defence or military operations are explained below:

• Military Logistics. The impact of IoT on supply chain management cannot be overstated. They would provide a fool-proof, effective and efficient system by providing solutions to track nearly in real-time location and consumption of materials/goods or services. Coupled with a simple AI engine in the background, this Defence IoT application can provide a solution for the deployment of military equipment or ammunition, which can be tracked from the production to the last forward-base depot with minimum human intervention.

• The Networked Soldier/Smart Soldier. The soldiers of tomorrow, fighting future wars are bound to be ‘networked’ and ‘smart.’ The devices carried by these soldiers would not only be networked for communication, but also position, logistics/weapon state, monitoring of health vitals etc. Moreover, the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) into the soldier’s helmet visor would multiply his situational awareness. Common actions such as call for gunfire or air support could be realised using a simple handheld device. The targeting information would automatically be sensed and uploaded to the C2 centre based on the IoT application. Western armies are already using similar devices.

Fig 2: Schematic representation of a ‘Networked’/‘Smart’ Soldier⁷

• Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) or Internet of Military Things (IoMT) in C4ISR and Intelligence Gathering. IoBT or IoMT involves the full realisation of almost all-pervasive sensing, computing, and communication, leading to an unprecedented scale of information produced by the networked sensors and computing units. Introduction of IoT applications and use of multiple sensors on different types of platforms (like unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, video-cameras, infrared or passive infrared sensors, unattended ground sensors, portable devices, and so on) which provide real time data, helps the military commander to easily develop a more comprehensive situational awareness (Fig 2). These data and the derived information can then be fused to produce a Common Operational Picture (COP) supporting the decision making by improved coordination, and control on the operational area.⁸ The edge-computing architecture for IoBT is given in Fig 3.

Fig 3: Schematic representation of edge-computing architecture of IoBT⁹

• Smart Security Solutions for Military Bases. The adoption of IoT in security devices and apparatus of a military base can boost the safety of men and systems inside the base. Devices connected with IoT enabled sensors or actuators (e.g., security cameras) can provide seamless network access and data to a remote location that can be utilised to check movements and activities, and thus reduce manpower otherwise required to similar functions but with lesser efficacy.

• Military Data Warfare. IoT enabled devices, equipment, platforms, weapons, ground vehicles etc. have the capability to generate large amounts of data when connected to a C2 System. Such large volumes of data provide valuable resource to analyse and review existing processes and make improvements. In actual warfare these deductions help in timely decision-making by identifying potential threats ahead of time and with more accuracy.

• Smart Fire Control Systems. These systems use data from various sensors to modify the fire control solutions based on new events/conditions even faster and more precisely than manual control. The Aegis missile defence C2 system uses high-performance computing elements and cutting-edge radar technology to track and evaluate threatening enemy targets. The AN/SPY3 radar system of an Aegis class destroyer can simultaneously detect, track and engage 100 different enemy targets automatically with minimal human intervention.¹⁰

• Military Training. IoT can also be applied effectively to military training. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can model all kinds of combat situations. During training, smart sensors on soldiers can also be used to monitor and analyse physiological condition of soldiers. The video and audio data collected during a training session can be evaluated later anytime. The MILES4 system used by US Army and Hungarian Defence Forces can simulate very realistic combat situations along with combined arms.¹¹

• Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). Autonomous weapon systems and platforms powered by powerful AI engines would eventually find a place in the military operations soon despite some ethical issues being discussed under international law. Weapon systems like autonomous drone swarms being developed by the US, China and Russia reduces the response time and shortens the OODA cycle. Other advantages include reduction in one’s own casualties and avoidance of exposure of our own forces to lethal fighting. LAWS / UCAVs are bound to bring in the much-needed asymmetry in the military might.¹²

• Military Operations Other than War (MOOTW). IoT devices would find immense employability in MOOTW which are essentially non-combat military operations and mainly comprise Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Multiple IoT enabled autonomous drones, networked to command centres, could be launched to pinpoint locations that need help or relief effort. These drones would also cater to the safety of rescue teams in dangerous situations and contaminated zones. Similarly, IoT devices (such as drones and robots) patrolling in disturbed areas would provide safety and security without the possibility of injury and fatality to own forces.

• Downsizing. The introduction of IoT Sensors and devices could drastically reduce the requirement of manpower in modern militaries. Naturally this would also reduce the costs involved, provided these technologies are going to cost lesser in future. China, for example, has announced a downsizing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) keeping in mind its induction plan for high-end military systems.¹³

Networking the Soldier

Whilst the applications of IoT in military operations are many, a simple first step towards proving the concept would be to incorporate an IoT device with the soldier on ground. The aim should be to prove the efficacy of providing a ubiquitous network which would cover an area which is in close range of his immediate and higher command centres. Thereafter the same can be extended in scope and scale to find larger implementation. In the Indian Navy’s context, the first use case would be to augment members of a Boarding Party/MARCOS Prahar with IoT devices so as to increase the efficiency of Vessel Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations.¹⁴

Future Soldier. The concept of a ‘Smart Soldier’ or a ‘Networked Soldier’ has been in force since decades. Essentially, any soldier with a communication set and who can link up with the command centre, can be termed ‘networked’ (Fig 4). What is being proposed here is that the soldier/sailor carry with him one or more IoT driven devices and systems that will help him and the Operational Commander to execute tasks more efficiently.

Fig 4: Soldiers of Today and Future¹⁵

It is critical that there is an all-pervasive computing and communication network available to all members. Only a ubiquitous network providing simultaneous access to voice and data communications at any time would ensure enhanced Situational Awareness (SA) and C2 across the battlespace. Therefore, apart from the IoT application and devices, what is also needed is a resilient network that can support mission flexible ops efficiently.¹⁶

IoT/AR Solution for HUD. A simple use case would be to enhance the effectiveness of the boarding party/Prahar with IoT Devices like hardened Tactical Smartphones, Tabs or Head-up Displays (HUD) that enables both day and night operations. The proposed Smartphone/Tab/HUD would enable the soldier to view tactical data (all relevant friendly, even hostile and neutral tracks in the areas of Ops) during day and night (through AR solutions) with a much superior range and video quality. The HUD would act both as a Night Vision Goggles (NVG) as well as a see-through device during day. Once this solution is proven, additional features such as real-time health monitoring of the soldier, live video streaming, target queuing for stand-off weapons, Naval Gun Fire Support (NGFS) etc. can also be added.

The aim is to display to the soldier’s eye, all the available data that he needs in order to perform his mission successfully. This could be navigational data, tactical picture including threatening targets and own forces, and any other data that the operational commander wants to send from the C2 centre. The solution is planned to be based on cloud computing and Augmented Reality (AR), so that the soldier understands his surroundings better in real time whilst receiving (data, commands, tracks etc.) and feeding information (audio, pictures, video etc.) to the C2 centre. The in-built computing element and resident GPS within the IoT device carried by the soldier is therefore to be integrated with the Ops C2 network through a secure wireless network. Herein comes the biggest challenge of military IoT solutions - providing ubiquitous connectivity.

Framework for IoT Implementation. The implementation of IoT applications can be done in two ways. The first is to implement a framework that caters to a wide range of scenarios and deployment and complete realisation of IoT. Considering the nascent stages of technological development in many fields, this would be a difficult proposition. The second, more practical way, would be to carry out a partial realisation through tailor-made deployment, targeting a very specific set of capabilities catering to a specific scenario, which is what is being proposed in the paper.

Comparative Study of other Wireless Networks including 5G Technology and its application in IoT

The real enablers of IoT would be the technologies that enable large and complex network comprising of a collection of communication approaches. Relevant features of some of the key IoT enablers for providing networked ubiquitous connectivity are given below. Although most of the technologies that are going to be discussed are still under development and yet to be tailored for IoT application, the following are the ones that need to be looked at for the proposed pilot project.

5G Wireless Data Network. The tentative application of 5G IoT is expected to provide solutions in multiple sectors such as manufacturing, energy, public safety, health care, transport, medical, automobile, financial sector, retail, and agriculture.¹⁷ 5G created a fundamental rethink of cellular technology and has been slated as the right answer for IoT to take off in urban areas. The real advantage of 5G is its high bandwidth (to the tune of 1Gbps), low latency and ability to provide services to a dense connection.¹⁸ However, the fact that millimetric waves are used in 5G, restricts its range and basic cell size. The result is the requirement of a much higher number of cellular towers and transmitting antennas to cover a particular area. The requirement of such large infrastructure across the region is expected to take some time, and the rollout is expected to be a long-drawn affair.¹⁹ It is expected that even by 2025, the penetration of 5G across the world would still be lesser than older cellular tech such as 3G and 4G.²⁰

The possibility of using a 5G enabled tactical Long Term Evolution (LTE) network solution from a ship is still far from reality. Due to its inherent smaller range and cell size limitation, providing ubiquitous connectivity to a boarding party/MARCOS Prahar using tactical smartphones and other devices, even for an area which is only a few nautical miles away, seems a distant possibility.

NB-IoT. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is yet another LTE-based cellular technology that can be described to lie in between 4G and 5G. The unique feature of NB-IoT is that it provides Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) connectivity. It is specifically designed for the licensed spectrum.²¹ It provides low device complexity and long device battery life thus, ensuring low cost. NB-IoT is optimised for machine-type traffic, which is one of the main requirements of IoT.²²

The main features of NB-IoT are the possibility of providing a 10-year life to device battery, extremely low implementation cost and complexity, and a very high network capacity which can be scaled up to 50000 devices, even in inaccessible areas such as basements. NB-IoT uses a narrow channel bandwidth below the Noise Level which can be deployed in all three LTE bands (in-band, guard-bands, or reused GSM spectrum). It can also be deployed very easily by via firmware upgrades to the existing LTE or GSM hardware. Although the LPWA market has existed for about 10 years, it has been fragmented and non-standardized resulting in poor reliability, security, and high operational and maintenance costs. NB-IoT overcomes these shortcomings, providing excellent features such as wide area ubiquitous coverage, high reliability and network security, fast upgrade of existing network, low-power consumption, low cost and plug and play.

ECP Global. EPC global network, which was formed in 2003, is a joint venture of GS1 (formerly EAN Inter- national).²³ The other partner is GS1 US (formerly Uniform Code Council, Inc.).²⁴ The primary aim of the ECP Global standards is to achieve worldwide adoption and standardisation of Electronic Product Code (EPC) over Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. This standard is being backed by all the key players and industrial sectors which include apparel, grocery, health care and food services. The major drawback to this standard is that the current standards do not cater for individual item level tagging, and aim only at higher level tagging such as at crate level.²⁵ The standard is being widely used in supply chain management, shipping, tracking and production management. Therefore, this would be an ideal candidate for IoT applications in Military logistics.

Wireless HART. Wireless Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART) is a bi-directional communication protocol which provides data access between intelligent field instruments and host systems.²⁶ Wireless HART was primarily designed for industrial automation and control systems with the wireless capability being added with the HART7 protocol in 2007 (IEC 62591 Ed. 1.0). It can be used for automatic and remote monitoring of military systems as shown in Fig 5. It is also inherently secure and proven to be reliable and resilient, apart from being power efficient. The drawbacks of the framework, however, include lack of encryption and interference in the 2.4 GHz spectrum. The technology has primarily been designed for industrial applications and may not be suitable in its current form for the extant use case which needs ubiquitous network connectivity.

Fig 5: Wireless HART network²⁷

Zigbee. ZigBee is originally a specification for using small, low-power, and low-cost radios. It came into being in 2003 and can provide short range wireless networking. The advantage of Zigbee is that it is scalable, self-organising and secure, and is extremely power efficient extending up to two years of battery life for individual nodes. It has an excellent data throughput and is reliable and robust. The network though, is susceptible to interference from other devices using the same frequency spectrum. Unlike Wireless HART, ZigBee does not implement channel hopping to avoid interference, and lacks public key encryption.

Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC is a set of standards that allow radio communication between devices within proximity. The standards are based on ISO 18000-3.²⁸ It is inherently secure due to its short range and encrypted data transfer capability. From the perspective of IoT though, the short range may prove to be a drawback and the data transfer rate may not be sufficient for demanding application scenarios.

Dash7. Developers’Alliance for Standards Harmonization of ISO 18000-7 (Dash7), is an open-source wireless networking implementation for ISO 18000-7.²⁹ It was primarily being designed for United States Department of Defence (DoD) and allied agencies.³⁰ Dash7 operates at 433 MHz spectrum making it inherently better at wider area coverage and global applicability when compared to similar technologies operating at higher frequency bands such as IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee, Wireless HART, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi). Dash7, which is yet to practically implemented, is seen to be power efficient and capable of providing long-range communications. Another great advantage is that it can co-exist with NFC systems, as they have similar hardware design and support public key cryptography. Dash7, though, has a relatively low throughput which is being worked upon by the developers.

6LoWPAN. IPv6 over Low Power Wireless Personal Area Network (6LoWPAN), is an open standard providing an adapter layer for IPv6 in between the Network layer and Data Link/Physical Layer. This is specified in IEEE 802.15.4.³¹ It is also embodied in Low Energy Bluetooth (BT-LE).³² 6LoWPAN is meant to provide inter-operability between all devices (embedded or otherwise) using a standard protocol. This ensures that all devices can directly connect to the network and communicate with each other, thus providing an essential foundation for IoT. It has been specifically designed to satisfy the requirements of a network of low powered and resource constrained devices (like small IoT devices) providing ubiquitous connectivity and security. Although multiple implementations of 6LoWPAN have been proven, the technology, as a platform, is still under development.

Wi-SUN. The Wireless Smart Utility Network (Wi-SUN) is a relatively new wireless communication standard that enables connectivity between smart devices. It is designed for large-scale outdoor IoT mesh networks for home energy power metering and distribution. Based on the IEEE 802.15.4g, Wi-SUN supports self-organised mesh topology unlike the NB-IoT. It provides high data rates, low latency and uses less power.

Comparison of IoT Enablers. The set of IoT enablers enumerated above, are extremely diverse in their technology, operational capabilities, features, and application scenarios. A summary of the technological specifications, capabilities, and features of each IoT enabler is given in Table 1. A comparison of the features and drawbacks of each IoT enabler is given in Table 2.

Table -1: Comparison of Technical Specifications of IoT Enablers³³

Table 2: Comparison of Advantages and Drawbacks of IoT Enablers³⁴

Recommended Roadmap for providing Ubiquitous Network for Defence IoT applications in IN

As already mentioned, a credible and practical step towards adoption of IoT in the Indian Navy would be an attempt to ‘Network’ the Boarding Party or MARCOS Prahar onboard a ship whilst doing operations. As a pilot project, the teams could be equipped with certain tactical IoT devices (hardened Smartphones/Tabs/HUDs) which can connect to the Combat Management System (CMS) of the ship. This would ensure that the relevant tactical picture of the area of operations are available with the Boarding party/MARCOS Prahar for carrying out their operations more efficiently. The device can also be used to transmit and receive specific data including targeting info, special orders, and messages.

Development of a miniature CMS application for these portable hardened tactical Smartphones/Tabs, can easily be undertaken within the existing resources of Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE) and Bharat Electronics (Gad). However, the tricky part would be the establishment of a ubiquitous wireless network. This would require the mother ship to create and maintain a strong, reliable, secure, and resilient sensor network onto which, all IoT devices can connect to.

The possibility of using a 5G enabled tactical LTE network solution from a ship is still far from reality due to its inherent limitation of range and cell size. Similarly, solutions using EPC global (RFID) is impractical as they are designed for logistic solutions and not for the extant pilot project. A solution using Wireless HART/Zigbee/NFC, though possible and implementable, would impose restrictions on usage due to interference and low bandwidth and range. These technologies can be used as part of a 2-tier network where the first tier covers the personal area network (to aggregate multiple sensor data), and the second tier (such as LTE) providing the long-range connectivity. The solutions that are best suited for Defence IoT are therefore 6LoWPAN, 8Dash7 and Wi-SUN which are power efficient, and provide credible range. However, these technologies are still under development and lacks adequate industry adoption to be directly implemented.

Therefore, a practical solution today would be to use the latest commercial 4G LTE solutions such as NB-IoT technology for the time being, to achieve a respectable network bandwidth and range. A network solution using NB-IoT would ensure very low costs and implementation issues in terms of infrastructure. This would ensure ranges to the order of 20 kms and accessibility in confined spaces (like compartments in the superstructure of a ship).

NB-IOT perfectly matches LPWA requirements of Defence IoT, providing a window of opportunities. This kind of a pilot implementation using NB-IoT would help us formulate the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) required for future net-centric, information-heavy naval operations. This would also ensure that we have a platform on which further applications of IoT technology can be created. This can kick start the development of a multitude of applications that can be deployed both at the C2 centres (using cloud computing, AI, ML, Data Analytics) and at the edge devices (Miniature C2 systems, Health monitoring devices, Targeting info etc.). Successful implementation of this technology for Boarding Parties/Special Ops can activate IoT implementation in other areas such as Logistics, Health Monitoring, Smart Base Security systems, AR/VR based training, Autonomous Vehicle C2 etc.

Conclusion

Future wars are going to be fought in a highly information-dense environment, allowing Op Commanders and troops to have seamless and instantaneous access to data from video, voice, sensors, targeting and reconnaissance assets. It is going to be technology driven as advancements in IoT combined with AI and ML would help soldiers detect, identify, and evaluate the threat of enemy much faster than what is possible today.

NB-IOT, an offshoot or upgrade of the commercial 4G LTE solution, provides the best solution to our problem. Its unique features of low power consumption, implementation cost and complexity, makes it an ideal candidate for our requirement. NB-IoT provides a respectable range and bandwidth to attain the requirement of providing IoT devices and connectivity to Boarding Party/Prahar teams.

A recommended way ahead for Indian Navy to kick start IoT implementation would be to do a pilot project involving IoT devices (hardened smartphones, tabs, or Head-up Displays) for Boarding/Special Ops. This would require the following: -

• Procurement of special tactical military IoT devices (hardened Smartphones/Tabs/HUDs) which can be used to connect to the Combat Management System (CMS) of the ship.

• Development of applications for IoT devices for displaying tactical picture of the area of operations.

• Setting up an NB-IoT wireless network using commercial LTE solutions like the pilot project undertaken onboard INS Shakti.

• Conduct of operations in which transfer of tactical picture (location, tracks, waypoints, maps etc), messages and commands can be proven.

• Development of further applications such as health monitoring, targeting, video streaming, data transfer etc. to further enhance Boarding/Special Ops.

• Keep up with the developments made in 5G, 6LowPAN, Dash7 and Wi-SUN for assessing viability in IoT for defence.

• Develop applications in other use-cases such as logistics, smart base security, AR/VR based training, Autonomous Vehicle control etc.

Defence IoT is bound to revolutionise the way wars are going to be fought in the future. Therefore, the recommended pilot implementation of IoT using NB-IoT wireless LTE network, would go a long way in formalising new CONOPS. This would also help in spawning other use cases and applications that can improve our fighting efficiency. This interim setup would provide us with a practical solution till such time other technologies (like 5G, 6LowPAN, Dash7, Wi-SUN etc.) mature and become viable options for Defence IoT.

Endnotes

1. Edewede Oriwoh, “Things’ in the Internet of Things: Towards a Definition,” International Journal of Internet of Things (2015).

2. Kevin Ashton, “That Internet of Things: In the Real World, Things Matter More than Ideas,” RFID Journal. http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?4986, accessed 01 September 2021.

3. Roberto Minerva et al., “Towards a Definition of Internet of Things (IoT),” IEEE Internet Initiative (2015, May), 74.

4. Atul Pant, “Internet of Things Centricity of Future Military Operations,” Journal of Defence Studies vol. 13, no. 2 (2019, April-June), 25-58.

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6. SR Hedberg, “DART: Revolutionizing Logistics Planning,” IEEE Intelligent Systems vol. 17, no. 3 (2002, May-June), 81-83. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1005635, accessed 05 September 2022.

7. Connector Supplier, “Military Wearables Trends Require Connectors to Scale Down,” Connector Supplier, 04 August 2020. https://connectorsupplier.com/military-wearables-trends-require-connectors -to-scale-down/, accessed 30 September 2021.

8. V Gotarane and S Raskar, “IoT Practices in Military Applications,” 3rd International Conference on Trends in Electronics and Informatics ( 2019 ) , 891 - 894 . doi: 10.1109/ICOEI.2019.8862559.

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10. Denise E. Zheng and William A. Carter, Leveraging the Internet of Things for a More Efficient and Effective Military: A Report of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).

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12. Ibid.

13. Adam Ni, “Why China is Trimming its Army,” The Diplomat, 15 July 2017. https://thediplomat.com/2017/07/why-china-is-trimming-its- army/, accessed 21 September 2021.

14. VBSS Manual, INS Dronacharya, 2015.

15. Ibid.

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26. HART Communication Foundation. http://www.hartcomm.org, accessed 31 October 2021.

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28. “Information Technology, Radio Frequency Identification for Item Management, Part3: Para-meters for Air Interface Communications at 13,56 MHz. ISO/IEC 18000–3:2010, Specification,” ISO, 2010. http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=5 3424,accessed 15 October 2021.

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34. Ibid.