// UNCLASSIFIED // DOCTRINE LIBRARY
Defense Taxonomy.
A working reference for the protocols, frameworks, and operating concepts that define modern collaborative combat aircraft, autonomous loyal wingman teaming, electromagnetic-spectrum resilience, and distributed command-and-control software.
116 terms · 4 categories · all unclassified · public release
▎CCA Protocols
CCA & Open-Mission Protocols
Open-architecture standards and datalink protocols that govern Collaborative Combat Aircraft, modular mission systems, and crewed-uncrewed teaming.
- ANW2 Adaptive Networking Wideband WaveformANW2Commercial-derivative wideband MANET waveform widely fielded by U.S. forces.
- ARINC 653Industry standard for time- and space-partitioned avionics operating systems.
- Autonomy Reference ArchitectureARAGovernment-owned reference design for layered autonomy stacks on CCA-class platforms.
- Battlefield Airborne Communications NodeBACNHigh-altitude airborne gateway translating between disparate tactical waveforms.
- C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of StandardsCMOSSU.S. Army modular open standard for converged C5ISR and EW payloads on ground vehicles.
- Collaborative Combat AircraftCCAU.S. Air Force program for affordable, autonomous wingmen teamed with crewed fighters.
- Common Data LinkCDLDoD-standard high-bandwidth point-to-point ISR datalink family.
- Cursor on TargetCoTLightweight XML schema for sharing position, time, and event data across systems.
- Data Distribution ServiceDDSOMG real-time publish-subscribe middleware standard widely used in defense.
- DO-178CSoftware-considerations standard for airborne systems certification.
- Future Airborne Capability EnvironmentFACEOpen standard for portable airborne software components running on a common operating environment.
- Intra-Flight Data LinkIFDLF-22 native low-observable datalink for flight-level sensor and track sharing.
- Joint Range Extension Application ProtocolJREAPStandard for tunneling Link 16 J-series messages over IP and SATCOM.
- Joint Tactical Radio SystemJTRSDoD program family for software-defined, multi-band tactical radios.
- Link 16Jam-resistant tactical data exchange network for joint and coalition platforms.
- Loyal Wingman ConceptDoctrinal pattern of pairing autonomous uncrewed aircraft with crewed lead.
- Manned-Unmanned TeamingMUM-TDoctrinal and technical framework for cooperative crewed-uncrewed operations.
- Modular Open Systems ApproachMOSAU.S. DoD acquisition mandate requiring open architectures and standardized, replaceable modules.
- Multifunction Advanced Data LinkMADLLow-probability-of-intercept stealth datalink used by F-35 and select fifth-gen aircraft.
- Open Mission SystemsOMSU.S. Air Force government-owned interface standard for airborne mission systems.
- Sensor Open Systems ArchitectureSOSATri-service hardware-and-software open standard for sensor and EW payload modules.
- SkyborgU.S. Air Force autonomy core program that seeded the Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative.
- Software Communications ArchitectureSCAOpen architecture for portable software-defined radio waveforms.
- Soldier Radio WaveformSRWNetworking waveform for handheld and small-form-factor tactical radios.
- STANAG 4586NATO standard interface for unmanned-aircraft control stations and platforms.
- STANAG 4660NATO interoperable command and control datalink for unmanned systems.
- Tactical Targeting Network TechnologyTTNTHigh-rate, low-latency IP-based airborne network optimized for closing kill chains.
- Team Awareness KitTAKGovernment-furnished situational awareness platform with Android, iOS, and Windows clients.
- Universal Command and Control InterfaceUCIGovernment-owned C2 messaging standard for off-board control of air and space assets.
- Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW InteroperabilityVICTORYU.S. Army standard for in-vehicle network and shared resources across electronic systems.
- Wideband Networking WaveformWNWHigh-throughput mobile ad-hoc networking waveform for U.S. tactical units.
▎Loyal Wingman
Autonomous Loyal Wingman Orchestration
Decision frameworks, planners, and run-time assurance patterns used to orchestrate autonomous wingmen and swarming agents under commander's intent.
- A* PathfindingBest-first graph search algorithm with admissible heuristics.
- ACAS XuAirborne Collision Avoidance System variant designed for unmanned aircraft.
- Auction-Based Task AllocationMarket-style mechanism for assigning tasks to agents by bid.
- Behavior TreesHierarchical control structure for composing autonomous agent behaviors.
- Byzantine Fault ToleranceBFTProperty of agreeing despite arbitrary, including malicious, node behavior.
- Commander's Intent EncodingMachine-readable representation of mission purpose and acceptable actions.
- Consensus AlgorithmsDistributed protocols ensuring agreement among nodes despite faults.
- Contract Net ProtocolFoundational task-announcement, bid, and award protocol for multi-agent systems.
- Cooperative Engagement CapabilityCECU.S. Navy system for fusing sensor tracks across ships and aircraft into a single composite track.
- Digital Twin (Autonomy)High-fidelity simulation paired with the live system for rehearsal and assurance.
- Finite State MachinesFSMClassical state-and-transition control model for bounded autonomous behavior.
- Goal-Oriented Action PlanningGOAPLightweight STRIPS-style planner that chains actions by precondition and effect.
- Hierarchical Task NetworksHTNPlanning paradigm that decomposes tasks into ordered subtasks via methods.
- Joint Probabilistic Data AssociationJPDATracking technique that probabilistically associates measurements with tracks.
- Kalman FilterOptimal recursive estimator for linear-Gaussian dynamic systems.
- Leader ElectionDistributed primitive for selecting a single coordinator among peers.
- Multiple Hypothesis TrackingMHTTracking algorithm that maintains parallel hypotheses about data association.
- Particle FilterSequential Monte Carlo estimator for nonlinear, non-Gaussian state estimation.
- Rapidly-Exploring Random TreeRRTSampling-based motion planner for high-dimensional configuration spaces.
- Run-Time AssuranceRTASafety architecture that monitors and overrides untrusted autonomy at run time.
- Self-Healing MeshProperty of a mesh network to reroute around lost links and nodes automatically.
- Sense-and-AvoidSAA / DAACapability for uncrewed aircraft to detect and avoid other airspace users.
- Sim-to-Real TransferSet of techniques for porting policies trained in simulation to physical hardware.
- Simplex ArchitectureRun-time assurance pattern with a verified backup controller and decision monitor.
- Swarm Cohesion (Flocking)Local rule sets producing emergent group motion in multi-agent fleets.
- Utility AIDecision pattern that scores candidate actions by weighted utility curves.
▎EW Mesh
EW-Resilient Mesh Network Topologies
Mobile ad-hoc networking, cognitive radio, and electromagnetic-spectrum tradecraft used to keep tactical meshes alive in contested environments.
- Ad-Hoc On-Demand Distance VectorAODVReactive routing protocol that builds routes on demand.
- Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and TimingAlt-PNTNon-GNSS sources of PNT used when satellite navigation is denied or degraded.
- Anti-Jam TechniquesAJWaveform and protocol techniques that preserve link integrity under deliberate jamming.
- BeamformingCoherent steering of antenna-array energy to a specific spatial direction.
- Cognitive RadioCRRadio that senses its RF environment and adapts waveform, frequency, and power autonomously.
- Controlled Reception Pattern AntennaCRPAAdaptive antenna array that nulls jammers by steering its reception pattern.
- Destination-Sequenced Distance-VectorDSDVProactive distance-vector protocol with sequence numbers to prevent routing loops.
- Direct-Sequence Spread SpectrumDSSSSpread-spectrum technique that multiplies the data signal by a high-rate pseudo-noise code.
- Dynamic Spectrum AccessDSAReal-time, opportunistic use of spectrum based on sensing and policy.
- Electromagnetic Battle ManagementEMBMReal-time C2 of friendly EM emissions and adversary spectrum activity.
- Electromagnetic Spectrum OperationsEMSOJoint doctrine integrating electronic warfare and spectrum management as a single discipline.
- Electronic AttackEAUse of EM energy to degrade, neutralize, or destroy adversary capability.
- Electronic ProtectionEPMeasures that protect friendly use of the EM spectrum from EA.
- Frequency-Hopping Spread SpectrumFHSSSpread-spectrum technique that rapidly changes carrier frequency over a wide band.
- GNSS Anti-JamHardware and software techniques that preserve GNSS positioning under jamming.
- Have QuickU.S. UHF anti-jam frequency-hopping waveform for air-to-air and air-to-ground voice.
- Inertial Navigation SystemINSSelf-contained PNT computed from accelerometers and gyroscopes.
- Joint Tactical Radio SystemJTRSU.S. DoD program that established the software-defined radio and waveform portability framework.
- Link 16NATO tactical datalink for situational awareness and weapons coordination.
- Low Probability of InterceptLPIWaveform property that minimizes the chance of detection by adversary signals intelligence.
- Mobile Ad-Hoc NetworkMANETSelf-forming, self-healing IP network where every node is also a router.
- Multifunction Advanced Data LinkMADLStealth-compatible LPI/LPD datalink developed for fifth-generation aircraft.
- Multiple-Input Multiple-OutputMIMOAntenna technique using multiple transmit and receive elements for capacity and resilience gains.
- Optimized Link State RoutingOLSRv2Proactive link-state routing protocol designed for MANETs.
- Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio SystemSINCGARSLegacy U.S. VHF combat-net radio family with FHSS anti-jam mode.
- Software-Defined RadioSDRRadio whose physical-layer behavior is defined in software, enabling waveform reprogramming.
- Soldier Radio WaveformSRWU.S. government-owned narrowband mesh waveform for dismounted forces.
- Spectrum PolicyMachine-readable rules governing what a radio may transmit, when, and where.
- Tactical Scalable Mobile Ad-Hoc NetworkTSMPersistent Systems waveform optimized for high-density, mobile mesh at the tactical edge.
- Tactical Targeting Network TechnologyTTNTHigh-throughput, low-latency airborne IP datalink for time-critical targeting.
- Wideband Networking WaveformWNWJTRS high-throughput mesh waveform for vehicle and command-post backbone.
▎Distributed C2
Distributed C2 Software Frameworks
Software frameworks, mission systems, and joint-all-domain command architectures that distribute decision authority across the kill web.
- Advanced Battle Management SystemABMSU.S. Air Force JADC2 implementation centered on data fabric and edge compute.
- AI Fires RecommenderSoftware service that pairs detected targets with available shooters and effects.
- Commander's IntentConcise statement of purpose, key tasks, and end state that guides subordinate initiative.
- Common Operating PictureCOPSingle, shared, real-time view of the battlespace across echelons and partners.
- Common Tactical PictureCTPEchelon-specific subset of the COP focused on the tactical fight.
- Continuous Authority to OperatecATOAccreditation model granting ongoing ATO based on continuous monitoring and pipeline controls.
- Cooperative Engagement CapabilityCECNaval sensor-netting system that fuses radar tracks across ships into a single fire-control picture.
- Cursor-on-TargetCoTLightweight XML message standard for exchanging tactical events.
- Data Distribution ServiceDDSOMG publish-subscribe middleware standard widely used in defense systems.
- DevSecOpsPractice of integrating security into continuous software delivery pipelines.
- Distributed Decision-MakingOperational pattern in which decision authority is partitioned across echelons and nodes.
- Distributed Maritime OperationsDMONavy operating concept dispersing combat power across many networked platforms.
- Human-in-the-LoopControl pattern requiring explicit human authorization for each consequential action.
- Human-on-the-LoopSupervisory control pattern where the human can intervene but does not act on every step.
- Integrated Tactical NetworkITNArmy initiative blending purpose-built and commercial networking at the tactical edge.
- Joint All-Domain Command and ControlJADC2U.S. DoD warfighting concept connecting sensors and shooters across every domain.
- Joint Battle Command-PlatformJBC-PU.S. Army mounted/dismounted C2 platform replacing FBCB2/Blue Force Tracker.
- Kubernetes at the EdgeUse of container orchestration to deploy and manage C2 services on tactical hardware.
- Mission CommandCommand philosophy granting subordinates intent-based discretion under decentralized authority.
- Platform OneU.S. Air Force enterprise DevSecOps platform serving the joint force.
- Project ConvergenceU.S. Army JADC2 campaign of learning that demonstrates sensor-to-shooter timelines.
- Project OvermatchU.S. Navy JADC2 program focused on networks, AI, and distributed maritime operations.
- Real-Time Publish-Subscribe ProtocolRTPSWire protocol underlying DDS, providing interoperable pub-sub over IP.
- Rules of EngagementROEDirectives that define the circumstances under which force may be used.
- Sensor FusionCombining multi-sensor data into a unified, higher-confidence track picture.
- Tactical Assault KitTAKGovernment-owned situational awareness and C2 software family across services.
- Tactical Data FabricDistributed data plane providing discovery, transport, and policy across the kill web.
- Zero Trust ArchitectureZTASecurity model that authenticates and authorizes every request regardless of network location.