Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Blockchain at the Tactical Edge: Enabling an Internet of Battlefield Things

Received: 12 August 2023     Accepted: 6 September 2023     Published: 24 November 2023
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Abstract

Future large-scale combat operations against a peer or near-peer adversary will involve a cyberspace domain in addition to the more traditional physical domains of air, land, sea, and space. The role that data and information play at every point in this continuum cannot be understated. Moreover, the ability to communicate effectively and coordinate across multiple domains simultaneously—to enable an internet of battlefield things—is dependent upon accessible and reliable information. This paper presents the results of a study that evaluated the use of blockchain technology to address challenges with increasing amounts of disparate sensor data and an information-rich landscape that can quickly overwhelm effective decision-making processes. The team explored how blockchain can be used at the tactical edge to support an internet of battlefield thing approach by verifying users, validating sensor data fed into artificial intelligence models, limiting access to data, and providing an audit trail across the data life cycle. The team developed a conceptual design for implementing blockchain for tactical data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications; identified challenges and limitations involved in implementing blockchain for the tactical domain; described the benefits of blockchain for these various applications; and evaluated the findings to propose future research into a wide set of tactical blockchain applications. The team studied three use cases: (1) blockchain at the tactical edge in a “data light” information environment for long range fires, (2) blockchain to secure tactical medical information in electronic health record, and (3) blockchain for collecting multiple types of tactical sensor data for chemical weapons defense to support measurement and signature intelligence analysis using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Published in American Journal of Computer Science and Technology (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12
Page(s) 126-147
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Blockchain, Internet of Battlefield Things, Hyperledger, Data Fabric, Long Range Fires, Electronic Health Record, Chemical Weapons

References
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  • APA Style

    Johnson, B., Kendall, A., Green, J., Nagy, B., Dogum, G., et al. (2023). Blockchain at the Tactical Edge: Enabling an Internet of Battlefield Things. American Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 6(4), 126-147. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12

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    ACS Style

    Johnson, B.; Kendall, A.; Green, J.; Nagy, B.; Dogum, G., et al. Blockchain at the Tactical Edge: Enabling an Internet of Battlefield Things. Am. J. Comput. Sci. Technol. 2023, 6(4), 126-147. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12

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    AMA Style

    Johnson B, Kendall A, Green J, Nagy B, Dogum G, et al. Blockchain at the Tactical Edge: Enabling an Internet of Battlefield Things. Am J Comput Sci Technol. 2023;6(4):126-147. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12,
      author = {Bonnie Johnson and Anthony Kendall and John Green and Bruce Nagy and Gregory Dogum and Kristin Jones Maia and Michele Meszaros and Jonathan Novoa and Rene Villarreal},
      title = {Blockchain at the Tactical Edge: Enabling an Internet of Battlefield Things},
      journal = {American Journal of Computer Science and Technology},
      volume = {6},
      number = {4},
      pages = {126-147},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcst.20230604.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajcst.20230604.12},
      abstract = {Future large-scale combat operations against a peer or near-peer adversary will involve a cyberspace domain in addition to the more traditional physical domains of air, land, sea, and space. The role that data and information play at every point in this continuum cannot be understated. Moreover, the ability to communicate effectively and coordinate across multiple domains simultaneously—to enable an internet of battlefield things—is dependent upon accessible and reliable information. This paper presents the results of a study that evaluated the use of blockchain technology to address challenges with increasing amounts of disparate sensor data and an information-rich landscape that can quickly overwhelm effective decision-making processes. The team explored how blockchain can be used at the tactical edge to support an internet of battlefield thing approach by verifying users, validating sensor data fed into artificial intelligence models, limiting access to data, and providing an audit trail across the data life cycle. The team developed a conceptual design for implementing blockchain for tactical data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications; identified challenges and limitations involved in implementing blockchain for the tactical domain; described the benefits of blockchain for these various applications; and evaluated the findings to propose future research into a wide set of tactical blockchain applications. The team studied three use cases: (1) blockchain at the tactical edge in a “data light” information environment for long range fires, (2) blockchain to secure tactical medical information in electronic health record, and (3) blockchain for collecting multiple types of tactical sensor data for chemical weapons defense to support measurement and signature intelligence analysis using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
    },
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AU  - Bonnie Johnson
    AU  - Anthony Kendall
    AU  - John Green
    AU  - Bruce Nagy
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    AB  - Future large-scale combat operations against a peer or near-peer adversary will involve a cyberspace domain in addition to the more traditional physical domains of air, land, sea, and space. The role that data and information play at every point in this continuum cannot be understated. Moreover, the ability to communicate effectively and coordinate across multiple domains simultaneously—to enable an internet of battlefield things—is dependent upon accessible and reliable information. This paper presents the results of a study that evaluated the use of blockchain technology to address challenges with increasing amounts of disparate sensor data and an information-rich landscape that can quickly overwhelm effective decision-making processes. The team explored how blockchain can be used at the tactical edge to support an internet of battlefield thing approach by verifying users, validating sensor data fed into artificial intelligence models, limiting access to data, and providing an audit trail across the data life cycle. The team developed a conceptual design for implementing blockchain for tactical data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning applications; identified challenges and limitations involved in implementing blockchain for the tactical domain; described the benefits of blockchain for these various applications; and evaluated the findings to propose future research into a wide set of tactical blockchain applications. The team studied three use cases: (1) blockchain at the tactical edge in a “data light” information environment for long range fires, (2) blockchain to secure tactical medical information in electronic health record, and (3) blockchain for collecting multiple types of tactical sensor data for chemical weapons defense to support measurement and signature intelligence analysis using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
    
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Author Information
  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Information Sciences Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, Ridgecrest, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

  • Systems Engineering Department, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

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