1. For use in a mobile ad hoc network formed by a plurality of mobile ad hoc network (MANET) nodes, a first MANET node capable of aggregating route cost information associated with a first route from a source MANET node to a destination MANET node, said first MANET node comprising: a radio frequency (RF) transceiver capable of wirelessly communicating with other ones of said plurality of MANET nodes; and a controller capable of receiving incoming data packets from said RF transceiver and sending outgoing data packets to said RF transceiver, wherein said controller receives a Route Request (RREQ) message generated by said source MANET node and retrieves initial route cost information from said RREQ message, said initial route cost information comprising at least one of: at least one radio frequency (RF) link cost parameter of at least one preceding RF link between said first MANET node and said source MANET node in said first route; and at least one node cost parameter of at least one preceding MANET node between said first MANET node and said source MANET node in said first route.