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Air Force Conducts Red Flag 17-2 Exercise Industry News AOC News & Events AOC Chapter News and Events Scholarship Opportunities

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PRESENTATIONS DUE FRIDAY: 9th Annual EW Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange, May 9-11, Crane, IN
EW warfighting requirements continue to evolve in their complexity and capability to meet Air, Ground, Surface, Space, and Cyberspace requirements. The 9th Annual Electronic Warfare Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange will provide a forum for EW professionals from the military, government, industry and academic fields, to discuss issues related to the requirements of EW programs, platforms and operations. This capstone event will focus on the identified gaps and technologies the services require to ensure EW maintains freedom of maneuver through the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) in support of achieving commanders’ objectives. Speakers and presenters will look back at the previous few years and identify progress made to ensure the success of the warfighter in tomorrow’s battlespace.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
EW warfighting requirements continue to evolve in their complexity and capability to meet Air, Ground, Surface, Space, and Cyberspace requirements. The 9th Annual Electronic Warfare Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange will provide a forum for EW professionals from the military, government, industry and academic fields, to discuss issues related to the requirements of EW programs, platforms and operations. This capstone event will focus on the identified gaps and technologies the services require to ensure EW maintains freedom of maneuver through the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) in support of achieving commanders’ objectives. Speakers and presenters will look back at the previous few years and identify progress made to ensure the success of the warfighter in tomorrow’s battlespace.

This call for papers challenges presenters to explore innovative and leap-ahead enabling technologies and methodologies to meet currently identified EW Capability Gaps. Presentations or demonstrations from all United States Services, DoD, Industry and Academia are requested to identify technical paths, options and potential opportunities for filling current and future EW Capability Gaps. Submitted abstracts are specifically requested to address one or more of the symposium sessions. Amplifying information on the three sessions is referenced below.

Abstracts for presentations are required in unclassified textual format. Please forward abstracts to Ms. Shelley Frost at frost@crows.org. The submission deadline is 10 March 2017.

More Information

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PAPERS DUE MARCH 17: AOC EW Europe - Advancing EW and Electromagnetic Operations Together, June 6-8

AOC EW Europe will be held in perhaps the world’s most iconic city – London. It will consider the future of EW and EM Operations in the changing light of current and emerging threats, including Hybrid Warfare and Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) where potential opponents are out-performing the West. It will consider the possible responses and how thinking and attitudes must change and examine the new capabilities that will be required across all lines of development, by all services, in all countries in the free world.

The conference will include plenary sessions and twin-tracks focusing respectively on operations, capability and defense lines of development, and industry developments and inventiveness. AOC EW Europe 2017 will bring together the communities involved in EW, SIGINT, C4ISR, Cyber EM Activities (CEMA) and more. Speakers will include leaders and operators from the military, government, academia, S&T and R&D communities and crucially, industry. This is an unclassified truly-global EW networking, exhibition, workshop and conference and not to be missed.

CALL FOR PAPERS: DUE MARCH 17
The AOC is soliciting original unclassified papers for the London conference from international leaders, military personnel, subject matter experts and leading thinkers from the government, military, academia and industry. Please submit your paper below if you are interested in speaking. Please provide a succinct title of the proposed paper, a brief (100 word) synopsis (bullet form is acceptable) and information on the speaker. Company or product briefs will not be accepted.  Submission of a proposed paper does not guarantee acceptance as spaces are limited. The Call for Papers will close on 17 March 2017– please submit as early as possible. You will be notified if your submission is successful, as soon as possible.  Potential speakers are invited to note the conference sessions topics and specific areas of interest:

-Keynote addresses, operational updates and support activities.
-National perspectives.
-The impact of potential adversarial Hybrid Warfare and Anti Access/ Area Denial capabilities, and how to prevent or mediate these threats

•     Defensive and offensive capabilities.
•     Technological and engineering developments including autonomous or semi-autonomous weapons; swarm technology, detection and countermeasures; directed energy and laser weapons, and countermeasures.
•     Future warfare – capability, integration and interoperability.
•     Critical EM lines of development such as training, test and evaluation, modelling and simulation, concepts, EW operational support (including parametric database evolution), etc.
•     EW and EM operations, SIGINT, ISR, spectrum management, and network enabled capability.
•     The information domain/environment, information operations, cyber warfare, Cyber EM activities (CEMA)/operations, social media, etc, and how these are likely to develop and influence free-world room to operate and manoeuvre.
•     Briefs on major national programmes and capability development in the maritime, air/space, information/ cyber and land domains, such as the F35 program.
•     Mining Big Data, Information Operations and EW – the implications and opportunities.
•     The Global role of academia in supporting the future of national capability in the EM and Information domains.

The language of the Conference is English. Abstracts with an overtly commercial content will not be accepted.

Call for Papers page

Register Now

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REGISTER NOW: 46th Annual Collaborative EW Symposium, April 25-27, Pt. Mugu, CA
"Collaborative Electronic Warfare: Enabling Collaborative EW Through Innovation and Invention"

As EW warfighting requirements continue to evolve in their complexity and interdependency, it is clear that future EW systems must work collaboratively with other Air, Ground, Surface Space and Cyberspace systems. The 46th Annual Point Mugu Electronic Warfare Symposium will facilitate the exchange of enabling concepts and provide a venue to disseminate current research in the fields of Collaborative Electronic Warfare. Prominent leaders, contributors and representatives from the United States and Australian military, government, academia and industry will come together to address current Electronic Warfare gaps and emerging technologies in Collaborative Electronic Warfare required to address these gaps.

View the Conference Page for the Draft Agenda

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS



Rear Admiral Christian "Boris" Becker
Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence and Program Executive Officer for Space Systems

RDML Bret C. Batchelder
Commander, Navy Warfare Development Command

RDML Brian K. Corey
Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
Assistant Commander for Test and Evaluation,
Naval Air Systems Command

Register Now!

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AOC VIRTUAL SERIES: Don's Miss Next Week's Webinar - Cryptology in the "Quantum Era"
Thursday, March 16, 14:00-15:00 EST | 18:00-19:00 UTC
In the second talk we explain the principles of quantum computers (qubit, superposition,...) and why it is believed that they are a huge game changer in computational science in general and in cryptography in particular (Shor’s algorithm, quantum FFT, super-polynomial speed-up). We also mention that at the other side of the game, "quantum cryptography" (quantum key distribution (QKD)) may potentially help for unprecedented security. Finally, the presentation concludes with  a summary and a short outlook on post-quantum cryptography candidates (McEliece, lattice-based, code-based, etc.).

Register Now

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2017 AWARD NOMINATIONS: Recognize Colleagues and Units
Honor those who have furthered the discipline of Electronic Warfare (EW), Information Operations (IO), Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and the AOC! Both individually and collectively, you have the knowledge and experience in the Electromagnetic Spectrum community, so you are among the best qualified judges of those accomplishments that deserve international recognition. Whether it be for a single outstanding contribution or unit achievement, an act of courage or heroism or long and valued service that has pushed the frontiers of EMS technology and its applications, we want to receive your nomination!

Recognize your colleagues by nominating someone for one or more of the AOC’s 2017 individual or unit awards.
Head to crows.org to view all the awards and full descriptions. You can nominate a person/unit for more than one award, if you so choose. Download the nomination form from crows.org and fill one out for each recipient you would like to nominate.

Nomination forms are due by May 1st, 2017. Don’t wait, nominate someone today.

Nomination Form

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SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: AOC Spectrum Visualization Challenge
The AOC and Raytheon are partnering to sponsor a Spectrum Visualization Challenge (SVC) -- a pilot scholarship opportunity for undergraduate students pursuing STEM-related fields of study. The SVC challenge is to visually represent and explain electronic warfare (EW), which takes place within the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). If you are interested in entering or would like to learn more about the competition, please click here.

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The Association of Old Crows (AOC) is seeking candidates to fill a newly created Director of Advocacy and Outreach position. This is a full-time staff position reporting to the Executive Director in the Alexandria, Virginia headquarters office.

The AOC is a fifty-year old 501(c)(6) professional society for individuals who have common interests in Electronic Warfare, Electromagnetic Spectrum Management Operations, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities, Information Operations, and other information related capabilities. The association provides a means of connecting members and organizations nationally and internationally across government, defense, industry and academia to promote the exchange of ideas and information and provides a platform to recognize advances and contributions in these fields. See www.crows.org for more information.
Learn More...

 

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DRAFT AGENDA AND SPEAKERS RELEASED: International & Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Electronic Warfare Symposium and Workshop, May 15-19 in Atlanta
U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) of sensitive military technologies, like Electronic Warfare, can be difficult to understand and navigate for International Partners and U.S. Defense Industry. U.S. Export laws, such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), requirements for Export Licenses, and in some cases Congressional approval, can be confusing and complicate the sale of EW systems and associated technical support. This conference provides an educational opportunity and forum for U.S. Government, U.S. Defense Industry, Academia and International partners to share information and provide updates on FMS and DCS program policy, processes and improvements.


Mr. John A. Weida, SES
Director Policy, Programs & Strategy, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs (SAF/IA)

Col Earl W. Stolz II (invited)
AFLCMC/WNY, Robins AFB, GA

Colonel Jong Lee, USA (invited)
PMO-ASE, Redstone Arsenal, AL



CAPT Laura Schuessler (invited)
PMA-272, NAS Patuxent River, MD

Lt Gen Bob Elder (Ret.)
Symposium Chair

Ms. Lisa Fruge-Cirilli
AOC President

Full Details

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SPREAD THE WORD: 2017 AOC Scholarships Available
Thanks to the generosity of the Raytheon Corporation, the National AOC Education Foundation received some generous resources in the past year. Two college students (junior or senior) shall receive a $12,500 scholarship each. There are several criteria these students must meet to be eligible for a scholarship. Please consult the following link for an application, which contains the eligibility criteria:  http://www.crows.org/aef/scholarship-a-grants.html.

We need to get the word out about these two scholarships. Please spread the word at chapter meetings, chapter social gatherings, or chapter emails. As a member of AOC, you yourself can hand out copies of the application, email it to your colleagues, or encourage fellow members to do the same. If your chapter has an association with local colleges through a current scholarship program, please work with your scholarship committee to see that the proper representative at those schools is contacted, and provided with an electronic copy of the application.  

Something to keep in mind is these students should be majoring in a technical field. Ultimately, AOC wishes to see more people serving in government/industry supporting National Defense, so we need these professionals to possess strong degrees in engineering and science.  Specific categories include: in Electronic Warfare (EW), Information Operations (IO), Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA). When passing along the particulars of this great opportunity, please be sure to emphasize this eligibility requirement

All applications are due by March 31, 2017, and are to be sent directly from the applying student to scholarship@crows.org.

Please act quickly to get the word out to as many people as you can. AOC is counting on you to help find the right students to meet its future goals in sustaining electronic warfare. 

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SUPPORT THE AOC: 2017 Sponsorships
How do you reach more customers in the Electromagnetic Warfare community? The AOC! To maximize your impact in 2017, begin securing your sponsorship positions today. When you strategically plan out your year with the AOC, you can realize significant savings.

Check out our updated sponsorship catalog below.  

Sponsorship Catalog

Current Event Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities:

• 46th Annual Collaborative EW Symposium
• 9th Annual EW Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange
• International & Foreign Military Sales Electronic Warfare Symposium and Workshop
• EW Europe 2017
• 8th Annual Cyber/Electronic Warfare Convergence Conference

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AOC VIRTUAL SERIES: Cognitive EW - Latest Buzzword or Way of the Future?
Thursday, April 6, 2017 |14:00-15:00 EST

The concept of cognitive EW has recently emerged as a possible means to ensure the future success of EW systems in increasingly complex and dynamic environments. But as with any new concept - especially in the military domain where secrecy is paramount - details about what cognitive EW really is and what it actually does are extremely limited. Under the circumstances, the appropriate response seems to be: Is cognitive EW really something useful or is it just the latest buzzword?

This webinar will attempt to provide a clearer overview of what cognitive EW is and is not. Possible goals for cognitive EW will be highlighted along with the potential benefits which may be accrued. Perhaps more importantly, some of the challenges to and potential limitations of cognitive EW will also be covered in an attempt to provide a balanced view of the concept. The relevant issues will be illustrated using an EW mission-planning tool currently under development as an example.

Register Now


Gold Sponsor

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DOWNLOAD NOW: Report on the 9th Asymmetric Threat Symposium
Download the White Paper, "Offset Strategies to Prevail Against Asymmetric Threats" now.

Click Here for the PDF

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REGISTER NOW: Dixie Crow 42, March 19-23 in Warner Robins

Registration is now open for Dixie Crow 42nd EW/IO Technical Symposium, March 19-23 in Warner Robins, GA. This year's theme is "COMBATING THE OTHER THREAT - CYBER SECURITY IN EW, AVIONICS AND ISR."

Our Symposium Committee, Dixie Crow Chapter President and Chapter Directors cordially invite you to join us for all the exciting events at the Symposium. The Dixie Crow EW/IO Technical Symposium is pending approval by SAF/AA. AFLCMC/WNY is co-hosting the Symposium’s AF Technical Program and Short Courses with the Dixie Crow Chapter of the AOC.

Conference Page

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VISIT THE AOC JOB VACANCIES PAGE: Post Your Jobs
Employers can post on the Job Vacancies page for free. Follow the guide located HERE to provide information on posting a job listing. Submitted listings will remain live for 30 days. The AOC will not format or edit submitted postings, and will not respond to any questions from candidates concerning postings. We are hoping members and sponsors will take advantage of this free AOC service. Complete the guide linked above and submit to Tim Hutchison at hutchison@crows.org.

Job Vacancies Page

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The Air Force’s two-week premier air-to-air combat training exercise Red Flag 17-2 began here Feb. 27, 2017 and will conclude March 10. Held multiple times each year on the vast bombing and gunnery ranges of the 2.9-million acre Nevada Test and Training Range, Red Flag is a realistic combat training exercise involving the air forces of the United States, its allies and coalition partners, and is one of the Air Force’s largest exercises. (Department of Defense)
Learn More...

 

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Three years ago, President Barack Obama ordered Pentagon officials to step up their cyber and electronic strikes against North Korea’s missile program in hopes of sabotaging test launches in their opening seconds. Soon a large number of the North’s military rockets began to explode, veer off course, disintegrate in midair and plunge into the sea. Advocates of such efforts say they believe that targeted attacks have given American antimissile defenses a new edge and delayed by several years the day when North Korea will be able to threaten American cities with nuclear weapons launched atop intercontinental ballistic missiles. (The New York Times)
Learn More...

 

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A half-dozen people in the Air Force are helping to define the service’s as part of a major new approach to deciding what weapons to buy, known as Strategic Development Planning Experimentation. The effort is led by Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, the commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson AFB. The first iteration of SDPE (as it will no doubt become fondly known) led to Penetrating Counter Air (good ole PCA) and Penetrating Electronic Warfare (PEW??). We didn’t know until today, when General P. told us, that PEW existed or was the result of SDP, but we do now. My colleague, John Tirpak of Air Force Magazine, has a piece in the magazine about the Air Force again flying an EW platform, a mission it had ceded to to the Navy. (Breaking Defense)
Learn More...

 

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The Royal Australian Air Force’s new Boeing EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft have arrived at the Avalon Airshow on their public debut. The aircraft flew in for their appearance at the airshow having recently been ferried to Australia from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in the US. "This is a beast; it was built to be a war aircraft and that is exactly what we plan to use it for," said Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies, welcoming the arrival of Australia’s first electronic warfare aircraft on Tuesday. (Australian Aviation)
Learn More...

 

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Of the 16 Orion surveillance planes in the RAAF's fleet, there are two they do not talk about. These special Orions are effectively flying electronic spies, with state-of-the-art, intelligence-gathering equipment allowing them to hoover up electronic signals from other planes and ships as they quietly perform routine patrols over the waters to Australia's north. All the Orions are being retired over the next few years and will be replaced by Poseidon aircraft and Triton drones – even more powerful aircraft with even greater spying abilities. (The Sydney Morning Herald)
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The growing use of improvised, weaponized drones triggered a new interest in counter-UAV capabilities. Such countermeasures are required to warn the unit on the presence of drones in their area and have the ability to disrupt and defeat those drones when required. Until now, such unavailable were not available in the region. Although US forces have deployed some off-the-shelf C-UAV capabilities in the Middle-East since 2016, most of these technologies were not exportable to allied nations. The US Army has already fielded various vehicle-borne UAV countermeasures. One such solution is the C-UAS Mobile Integrated Capability (CMIC) mounted on a reconnaissance Stryker vehicle. (Defense Update)
Learn More...

 

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