A communication system for use within a vehicle, between vehicles and other remotely located devices is disclosed. The communication system includes a control hub for managing and analyzing multiple incoming wireless and wired data streams. The system also includes at least one sensor module wirelessly in communication with the control hub. A sensor control panel interface may be used for reviewing information from the sensor modules and a distributed mesh network may be used for supporting at least two levels therein. The communication system may be wirelessly based and may be built for rugged harsh environments such as those found in military applications and other harsh industrial applications.