Enhancing Communcation in Multi-Domain Ad-Hoc Networks for Maritime Critical Infrastructure Protection

The protection of critical maritime infrastructure, such as subsea pipelines and remote research stations, requires the implementation of reliable communication Networks and maritime domain awareness (MDA), particularly in regions where conventional communication infrastructure is either non-existent or inadequate. These regions present unique challenges for communications technology, as they are often either completely isolated or extremely difficult to access. This research addresses a critical gap by developing an improved Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol suitable for Multi-Domain Ad-Hoc Networks. Our approach integrates surface and underwater communication domains supported by unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to ensure robust and efficient communication in challenging maritime environments. In particular, we analyze the latency of message types reaching UUVs and the traffic generated over acoustic links in different scenarios at different distances. Our simulation, performed in a custom MATLAB framework, provides insight into the communication delays and traffic load, highlighting the challenges posed by the underwater environment. These tests help to evaluate the theoretical performance and Network stability of our extended AODV protocol. We discuss potential optimizations to overcome these challenges and ensure efficient and reliable data exchange in maritime Ad-Hoc Networks. Keywords-Ad-Hoc Networks, IPv6, MATLAB, Radio Communication, Acoustic Communication.