This Aerospace Information Report (AIR) has been prepared by the Systems Applications and Requirements Subcommittee of SAE Committee AS-2. It is intended to provide guidance primarily, but not exclusively, for specifiers and designers of data communication systems for real time military avionics applications within a platform. The subject of high speed data transmission is addressed from two standpoints: (1) the influence of developments in technology on avionics architectures as a whole and (2) the way in which specific problems, such as video, voice, closed loop control, and security may be handled. While the material has been prepared against a background of experience within SAE AS-2 relating to the development of a family of high speed interconnect standards, reference to specific standards and interconnect systems is minimized.