United States Army Military Affiliate Radio System

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United States ArmyMilitary Affiliate Radio System
Nevada Army MARS
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Winlink 2000 (WL2K) Introduction
An Introduction and brief history of the ARMY
MARS Radio Winlink 2000 system.
Presented by Laurence Collins AAA9NV / AA9RGN /
AT9TFC Director Nevada Army MARS
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Army MARS Focus on Emergency digital
communications Requirements

• It must look like e-mail.
• It must use an e-mail editor like MS Outlook
  Express or Outlook, etc.
• It must have an address book like e-mail.
• It must include multiple recipients (to, Cc)
  like e-mail.
• It must send multiple binary attachments like
  e-mail.
• It must have a spell-checker like e-mail.
• It must work on multiple computers within an
  agency with no additional desktop software, and
  not invade the security of the system.
• It must provide transparent, seamless,
  end-to-end email when there is no normal Internet
  path.
• It must be able to utilize tactical email
  addresses.
• It must NOT add to the stress or learning curve
  of those who are already stressed in an emergency
  situation.

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MARS WL2K.What is it?
WL2K is a Volunteer designed, maintained and
operated system for the delivery of Radio E-mail
and services for Army MARS applications Mobile
user connectivity (POV, RV, etc) On demand
information Weather, Positions, Status,
etc. Emergency Communications, Last Mile and
Long distance. Mercy Missions Katrina, Rita,
Tsunami, Health missions. Health and Welfare
traffic normal E-mail with attachments Full
capability of Tactical Call Signs
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• ARMY MARS can provide e-mail to any MARS
  client without the internet within the Last
  Mile, across the Nation, or around the World.

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WL2K.Brief History
Late 1980s DOS based APLink developed by Vic
Poor, W5SMM, used HF Amtor to provided VHF Packet
connectivity to marine mobiles. 1995 Renamed
Winlink (then called Winlink Classic) with a
small group of Radio stations (MBOs) eventually
linked via RF to Internet E-mail (NEXUS).
1999 Testing began on Winlink 2000, an expanded
and improved implementation based on a Central
Hub (CMBO) and Radio station gateways (PMBOs)
linked via Internet. 2006 Continual development
from a growing Winlink development Team, now
consisting of 8 members, all with specific duties
to match their skills.
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WL2K System Overview
CMS Detroit
CMS San Diego
CMS Perth
Redundant Common Message Servers (Share the load
but any ONE can run the ENTIRE system)
Internet
Conventional Email Users Agencies
PMBOs and Radio Message Servers 9 HF, 3 Active
VHF/UHF
Links HF Radio VHF/UHF Radio D-Star
data radio WiFi, Telnet, Web
EXISTING MARS RADIO NETWORKS
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WL2K System Overview
CMS Detroit
CMS San Diego
CMS Perth
Internet
Conventional Email Users Agencies
PMBOs and Radio Message Servers 9 HF, 3 Active
VHF/UHF
R8 PMBO
R4 PMBO
MARS Members
R7 PMBO
R3 PMBO
R1 PMBO
1500 Active MARS Radio Operators
AA0XXX
AX9XXX
AX3XXX
AX1XXX
AX7XXX
AX6XXX
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WL2K Today by the numbers

• Demonstrated gt 99 system availability since
  Nov, 1999.
• 3 Full-time Redundant Common Message Servers
  (CMS) in Detroit, San Diego and Perth, all in
  hardened caged sites, provide excellent
  reliability, worldwide.
• 91 total PMBOs, worldwide, in 9 Service Classes
  Public, EmComm, Army MARS, UK Cadet Forces offer
  each separated service class their own operation.
• Approximately 9,500 Radio users, 98,000 Email
  recipients, pushing an average of 150,000
  messages monthly. Average monthly connection
  time of 280,000 minutes with an average duration
  of 3.3 Minutes and 3,600 bytes/per message.
• Typical message latency sender to recipient
  delivery 1-2 minutes.
• In the EmComm Service Class, there are 287
  Active VHF/UHF TelPac Gateways.
• Many agencies have proven that WL2K is a viable
  primary source for Point-to-Point and
  Point-to-Multi-point communications where
  accuracy, speed and a permanent record is
  required.
• THE FIRST PRIORITY OF ARMY MARS IS EMERGENCY
  COMMUNICATIONS.

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WL2K Failover Modes

• Normal MARS Client Internet Access
• Action No action
• What if the MARS Client Loses Internet Access?
• Airmail/Paclink to PMBO via VHF Packet (Primary
  Failure Mode)
• Five levels of backup in Paclink (Telnet, 9600
  dir,9600 indir,1200, HF)
• What if the PMBO loses Internet Access?
• Served Agencies can still hub traffic through
  PMBO (Telpac collocated on PMBO)
• PMBO server can use Packlink to link to a backup
  PMBO
• What if the PMBO goes down?
• Airmail/Paclink can link to backup PMBO (ARMY
  MARS) via Telpac
• Airmail/Paclink can link to backup PMBO (ARMY
  MARS) via HF
• Depending on system design, Served Agency can
  access local Telpac nodes with backup
• What if the CMS goes down?
• Three CMS servers back up each other
• PMBO can still hub traffic for local Served
  Agencies
• What if the MARS Client loses its internal Data
  Network?
• Airmail/Paclink mobile client can locate at
  Served Agency and provide mobile Voice and Data
  connectivity
• Airmail/Paclink mobile client can support
  wireless access point hub for 802.11 equipped
  laptops
• The level of robustness is determined by the
  system design Simple local backup or fully
  redundant global protection!

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WL2K Example Users/Applications
Example of a few of the agencies that have used
and acknowledged WL2K for Many
Hurricanes 2004 Tsunami Failure of
IntelSat 804 Forest Fires, Typhoons Humanitarian
Missions Health Mercy Missions Lost vessel
location (continual)
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Why Winlink 2000?

• Winlink 2000 is a system that provides radio
  digital backup (during network last mile
  disruptions) for SMTP e-mail, using existing
  e-mail programs, on existing computers, with no
  additional invasive softwareseamlessly and
  transparently.
• Winlink 2000 can function both inside the local
  area or around the world. From inside a disaster
  area without normal e-mail servers or Internet.

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Winlink 2000 (WL2K) More info and Follow up
System Details and Downloads Winlink 2000 web
site www.winlink.org EmComm WL2K
reflector http//groups.yahoo.com/group/wl2kemco
mm/ On-line course for Using WL2K programs for
EmComm http//groups.yahoo.com/group/LOADING_WL2
K_USER_PROGRAMS/ Published Information about
Winlink 2000 http//www.winlink.org/news.htm Sy
stem Questions and Volunteer info k4cjx_at_comcast.
net, aat9cb_at_cox.net