The authors propose an approach to the creation of an instrumental system for formal descripton and automatic verification and implementation protocols. In the author's opinion, the core of this system should be provided by a language for formal protocol description and a translator construction system. Currently under development is a system for constructing (describing, verifying, and implementing) protocols for packet-switching networks, known as SATRAP (System of Automated Translation of Protocols). It is being set up on the basis of the protocol description language proposed in this paper, and the SUPER-81 translator construction system.