Web services via HF radio?

In "Rockwell Collins making waves with its HF networking solutions", Nicholas Merrett, Asia-pacific defence reporter, September 2006, reports that:

"In an Australian first, Rockwell Collins Australia, ANSUS and the ADF Tactical Information Exchange Integration Office (TIEIO) on June 9 demonstrated the transfer of VMF (Variable Message Format) and Link 16 Messages over live High Frequency beareres using both military and civillian radios."

The signifiance of this is that the Australian military can't afford the satalite equipment and assorted different terrestiral radios used by the US military. They therefore have to make do with HF radio, which has a lower data rate (9.6kbps t 16 kbps) and try to integrate data from other systems, such as Link 16 used by aircraft. There is also the potential to interface to XML based formats for easy integration with modern web
based systems.

Some items I found on the topic:

The Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) is not only responsible for keeping your desktop Personal Computer (PC) running, but is also involved in defining and supporting the network aspects of Network Centric Warfare (NCW). Being highly technical in nature it is often
difficult to explain the intricacies of networked communications. This article, however, attempts to explain the systems that link our combat systems together across the electronic ether and provide
interoperability between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and our Allies.

From: CIO links Network Centric Warfare messaging, By Justine O'Brien, Defence Magazine, DoD

JP 2089 is intended to deliver tactical data links to legacy platforms and capabilities of the ADF and the infrastructure required to support tactical data exchange at the force level. The initial focus
will be on providing digital tactical information links comprising Link 16 and Variable Message Format (VMF). Phase 2 is intended to implement Tactical Information Exchange (TIE) solutions on the following platforms: Link 16 and VMF in the ANZAC-class guided missile frigates,
and VMF on the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Phase 2 will also include further definition studies related to other ADF platforms, such as ground-based elements, the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter and tactical air transport. Phase 3 is intended to implement TIE solutions on additional
platforms identified through Phase 2 studies.

From: "JP 2089 Phase 2 Tactical Information Exchange Domain (Data
Links)", DoD, 16 Aug 2006

The Rosetta system is a collection of technologies that allow high speed processing, translation, and forwarding of realtime data. Datastreams can include sensors, navigation, and datalinks. The translation and forwarding rules are warfighter controlled and can be changed as needed via an industry standard SQL GUI. The technology suite includes a text parsing engine, a realtime engine (RQL), a record/playback system, and the Forwarding Rules Object Gateway (FROG). Rosetta Technology® is a registered trademark of ANZUS, Inc.

From: Rosetta Technology, ANZUS, Inc.

Variable Message Format Minimum Implementation Requirements for Joint Interoperability Certification Testing

... defined in the following four levels:

• The minimum set of messages required to meet the minimum information exchange requirement (IER) across functional areas for any participant on any VMF network. These messages are the:

K01.1 Free Text
K01.2 Unit Reference Query/Response
K05.1 Position Report

• The minimum set of messages within a functional area required to meet IER in specified subfunctional areas defined for those functional areas that can be decomposed into distinct subfunctions. Appendix A of
the TIDP-TE includes tables that depict this information. For example, if a system implements the K02.8 Schedule of Fires message, it is required to implement the following additional K02 messages:

K02.10 Fire Plan Mission/Fire Plan Cancellation
K02.12 Command to Fire
K02.18 Fire Unit Status
K02.23 Fire Plan Orders
K02.31 Mission Request Rejection

• The minimum set of message cases (only in multipurpose messages) required to meet the IER (when there are multiple purposes for a message, at least one case shall be defined for minimum implementation). ...

• The minimum set of data fields in each message required to meet the IER. ...

From: "Variable Message Format Minimum Implementation Requirements for Joint Interoperability Certification Testing", Variable Message Format Test and Evaluation Working Group (TEWG), 2003