Bruno Zolesi I stituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia bruno.zolesi@ingv.it

1. The SWING Project: Headlines and Aims Bruno Zolesi Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia bruno.zolesi@ingv.it With the support of the Prevention, Preparedness and Consequence Management of Terrorism and other Security-related Risks Programme European Commission - Directorate-General Home Affairs

2. SWING (Short Wave Critical Infrastructure Network based on new Generation prediction Tools) The aim of the Project shortly named SWING is to establish the basis for a South European robust radio network, based on SW architecture and utilizing innovative ionospheric sounding techniques and real time signal processing and forecasting, to support Critical Infrastructure communications, both short and long range, in case of wide scale terroristic or attacks able to render useless Internet links.

3. Headlines The potential risk of wide scale terrorist attacks able to put out of order, for a long period, the internet connections capabilities exposes the some European Critical Infrastructures (ECIs), like electric power distribution and production infrastructure, CPAs, safety and defense organization, water distribution agency, airports, etc. in a stage of vulnerability because of some essential information are transferred by means of internet both for management and control.

4. Headlines In fact the evolution of the Internet has brought about an expansion of the communication era which was not possible in the recent past. Internet itself has been defined as a massive “network of networks” that consist of millions of private, public, academic, business and government networks that are linked by a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies to serve billions of user worldwide.

5. Headlines The aim of SWING is to study a high survival HF radio network (data/voice) to real time support of ECIs communications, maintaining the minimum flux of essential information for the management and control in case of wide scale terrorist attacks able to render internet links useless over the Mediterranean region. This will increase the awareness of ECIs operator in the extreme case of the complete broadband failure of the communication

6. Headlines Target groups- Agencies and institution devoted tomanagement of Critical Infrastructures that are linked by internet network. Expected results- The project is finalized to demonstrate the feasibilityof a network high survival HF communication as buck-up and independent system to ensure minimum management and communication requirements, in the case of internet failure due to a terrorist attack.

7. Headlines SWING will be designed to evaluate the threat and increase the security awareness, as well as the level of protection, of analogous and/or interdependent ECIs. In order to meet these goals and therefore CIPS priorities, SWING will have to recognize how and when the internet communication fails, and develop the standard software and hardware tools necessary for implementing communication protocols suited for a reliable and interoperable Short Wave radio network back up.

8. Headlines Therefore, SWING must also analyze the HF network requirements necessary for alerting and controlling ECIs from their CGAs in case of threat or attack, understand the particular characteristics and design a radio-communication architecture for a HF radio network. To meet the above mentioned objectives the main activities will initially concern the designation of ECIs in the regions of interest and the analysis of potential communication problems among them and between ECIs and CGAs, followed by the identification of the most suitable topology for a high survival radio communication network.

9. Headlines Subsequently, SWING will determine the criteria for early warning alerts, the procedures to activate the back up network, as well as the minimal amount of information necessary to maintain control over ECIs keeping them linked even in critical conditions. For what concerns the HF radio network, SWING will define and design the software and hardware necessary to a high survival HF radio network.

10. Objectives 1) To study internet communications criticality. 2) To analyze the requirements necessary to ECIs and CGAs management and control. 3) To develop a communication protocols in order to define standard software and hardware tools supporting reliable and interoperable Short Wave radio communication techniques for ECIs and CGAs protection. 4) To study the frequency management system taking into account the special characteristics of the ionospheric channel. 5) To design a radio-communication architecture for a distributed South European short wave radio network.

11. Starting date - 01-01-2012 ; Duration- 24 Months Methodology- Share the activities in four Working Groups (WG) where each WGs is involved in the activities of the project as better specified below. Partnership:

12. Activities and Deliverables 1- Interface with EU authorities and coordination. 2-Technical analysis of the communication problems related to the identification and designation of CIs in the interested area. 3- Determination of the topology of high survival radio communication network. 4- Characterization of the minimal amount of information necessary for the survival of the CIs communication. 5- Operative supervision of the network architecture. 6-Analysis of the existing architecture of HF communication based on internet protocol access with reference to the above considered infrastructures. 7-Analysis of existing HF connection system in terms of software and hardware for internet connection. 8- Definition of the High survival HF radio network technical requirements. 9 - Radio network system design. 10-Criteria of early warning alert and procedures to activate the back up network. 11-Monthly prediction of the hourly HF set of frequencies over the n radio links given by the network, based on the available ionospheric model and methods. 12-Daily forecasting of the hourly HF set of frequencies based on the Mediterranean ionospheric measurements. 13-Ground wave propagation analysis when required. 14-Frequency management system for HF communication link optimization. 15-Identification of the professional profile able to maintain and operate network. 16-Dissemination of deliverables within communities informing about initiatives organised in the context of the project. 17-Professional training activities trough courses, workshops and conferences. 18-Assessment of the potential impact and feasibility of the project for ECIs and CGAs and final recommendations for the EC. 19-Realization of a demonstrator constituted by 4- terminals HF network.

13. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction Monthly prediction of the hourly HF set of frequencies over the N radio links given by the network, based on the available ionospheric model and methods.Daily forecasting of the hourly HF set of frequencies based on the mediterranean ionospheric measurements.

14. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction The principal objective of any frequency planner is to predict the useful radio frequencies that could guarantee for a given epoch a point to point radio link. This means that should be predicted the wave band between the so called MUF, the maximum usable frequency, and the LUF, the lower usable frequency. Another important parameter is the area covered by a given frequency around a given transmitter point or the minimum distance from the transmitter reflected by the ionosphere called skip distance.

15. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction

16. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction

17. HF area prediction • The skip distance is defined as the minimum distance D for which it is possible to establish a radio link for a given frequency foband the critical angle of incidence φ0, For this distance D and this angle of incidence φ0 the relative frequency f is also the maximum frequency reflected from the ionosphere. If a line is traced around a point of transmission at the same distance as the skip distance, that line is the isoline of the maximum frequency reflected by the ionosphere, or in other words the isoline of a given MUF.

20. DIAS Web – Maps: nowcasts

21. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction

22. Ionospheric Mapping and Models for Ionospheric prediction

24. SWING (Short Wave Critical Infrastructure Network based on new Generation prediction Tools) Thanks for your attention!