A layered communications architecture is advocated for the military's Global Communications Grid (GCG) or Global Grid (GG), the communications infrastructure of the Global Information Grid (GIG). A seven-layer reference model consisting of Mission, Application, Service, Transport, Network, Link, and Physical Layers is introduced; the GG corresponds to the Transport and Network Layers. The fundamental concept for military interoperability inherent in the GG architecture, viz., network-centricity, is explained. The importance of "layering" communications protocols and functions is discussed. Examples of layering communications, management, and security functions are provided.
*Research reported in this paper was supported by the U.S. Air Force Electronic System Center under contract number F19628-99-C-0001.
