Abstract: This paper presents a discussion of the effects that transmission over error-prone media, such as a tactical satellite trunking system, has on the operation and performance of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and other protocols being transported by it. The possible approaches that can mitigate the effects of these errors are then summarised. This includes consideration of the techniques employed by two different commercial products that serve this purpose. Finally, a perspective is given on how these capabilities could affect battlefield communications.