Research into underwater acoustic communication has focused on time division multiple access (TDMA) communication protocols. Within a front-seat/backseat control architecture, effective communication is not guaranteed due to the strict clock synchronization requirement of the TDMA protocols. In the event of dropped messages during the cycle, the strict clock requirement can lead to message overlap and communication failure. In this paper, a novel, token-based medium access control (TMAC) solution for underwater acoustic broadcast is introduced. This solution is unique in the sense that it does not require that a ring be maintained for passing the token. TMAC provides a solution to the synchronization problem, ensuring effective communication within a front-seat/backseat control architecture. We expand on the structure and operation of the TMAC solution in the presence and absence of dropped messages. The solution is then applied to a mine countermeasure reference mission, and the results are compared to those generated by the TDMA protocol.
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