Adaptive Dynamic Message Packing for Enhanced Throughput and Resilience in Link 16 Networks

Abstract

Link 16 is a frequency-hopping tactical data link that employs four statically assigned Message Packing Structures (MPSs), each imposing a fixed trade-off among throughput, slot efficiency, and anti-jamming protection. Because these assignments are fixed prior to deployment, current Link 16 networks cannot adapt to runtime variations in traffic load, communication range, or interference conditions, often resulting in inefficient slot utilization. This paper proposes a simulation-based dynamic message packing framework that enables runtime MPS selection based on queue occupancy and inter-participant distance while preserving the standard TDMA structure and waveform. To address contested electromagnetic environments, the baseline mechanism is extended with a lightweight interference-aware component that biases MPS selection toward protection-capable structures based on estimated jammer severity, without altering the underlying adaptation triggers. The proposed framework is implemented in a C++ Link 16 simulation environment and evaluated under five operational scenarios, including non-congested and congested traffic, static and dynamic communication ranges, and probabilistic jammer interference. Results show that under non-congested conditions, the mechanism remains throughput-neutral, with the number of transmitted MPSs closely matching the number of delivered messages, while significantly reducing wasted slot capacity and improving the adaptive use of protection features. Under congestion, dynamic MPS selection enables efficient multi-message packing within TDMA slots, resulting in substantial throughput gains and improved slot utilization. Under jammer interference, throughput decreases due to increased packet loss; however, the extended mechanism preserves a higher absolute delivery rate than static packing by systematically increasing the use of redundancy-enabled and combined protection MPSs, reflecting a shift from capacity-oriented to resilience-oriented adaptation under degraded channel conditions. Overall, the proposed framework provides a practical, standards-compliant runtime optimization for Link 16 systems, enabling improved efficiency under light load, enhanced throughput under congestion, and adaptive resilience under interference.