Transitioning the Tactical Marine Corps to IPv6

As communication in tactical arenas continues to trend from serial to Internet Protocol (IP) based, the necessity for tactical programs of record to embrace IP communications becomes more and more imperative. While many Marine Corps tactical communications programs of record already recognize this trend and its significance, some are affected more heavily than others. Numerous advantages exist for transitioning from Internet Protocol version 4 to Internet Protocol version 6, and a top-down transition makes most sense for deployed and deploying units; the Data Distribution System-Modular is the system best suited to take on this role. The Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Network Innovation and Experimentation (CENETIX) and Tactical Network Topology (TNT) field experimentation program, along with the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA), can take on this task of transitioning the Tactical Marine Corps to IPv6; the commonality of the Defense Research Engineering Network (DREN) will allow for collaboration and testing that will greatly benefit our war fighters.