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Australia Set to Become One of the World's Top Aerial Electronic Warfare Powers Industry News AOC News & Events AOC Chapter News and Events

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DON'T MISS TOMORROW'S WEBINAR: Land Electronic Warfare in the Asymmetric Battlespace, July 13
Thursday, July 13 | 14:00-15:00 EST (18:00-19:00 UTC)

Electronic Warfare (EW) is a force multiplier and a must for any Commander. For example, most are aware of how the Russian Army is conducting successful EW operations on a daily basis against Ukraine. In today’s complex, asymmetric battlespace, information and spectrum dominance is vital to defeat the enemy. EW is the Commander’s not so secret weapon that provides answers at both the tactical and strategic level.

The RF spectrum is a congested environment and there are conflicting requirements and major interoperability decisions to be made between those who want to collect, those who want to interfere and those who would like to influence. To manage these aspirations there needs to be a fundamental concept of Battlespace Spectrum Management (BSM), considered and proper use of deployed Land EW assets and how they integrate with other activities. The Radio Controlled IED (RCIED) continues to be a weapon of choice for adversaries around the globe, the addition of this threat and force protection equipment greatly complicates matters.

During the webinar on 13th of July, we will set the scene for the training classes with an overview of the 3 elements that are bound together under the EW banner. We will look at today’s Land EW picture and how it needs to configured and deployed to answer Commander’s RFI’s and how modern ES systems provide the practitioner with the tools to exploit the RF spectrum. This will naturally follow on to BSM and how this capability addresses the confliction between all the spectrum uses in a defined area. The third part of the training classes is a detailed look at the RCIED and ECM/counter RCIED EW (CREW) systems. During this part of the webex we will look at the current global RCIED threat and the support that ensures that friendly forces are as well prepared as possible for dealing with this area of operations.

Register Now

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BUDGET NEWS: NDAA Move to House Floor
The House of Representatives is considering H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), on the floor this week. In total, the bill provides $696 billion for our military, including $593 billion in defense-related spending and $75 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding. While OCO is off-budget (not subject to budget caps), it does include several billion for defense programs that are not OCO-related. The legislation does exceed the budget cap of $549 billion, as will the Senate version, so this is merely the beginning of a long road to a final conference measure.

There will be slew of amendments offered during consideration beginning Wednesday through the balance of the week. The House Rules Committee meets on Wednesday to sift through and pare down more than 400 amendments. While few amendments will have any impact on overall spending pertaining to EW-related matters, amendments are expected to address important policy matters including troop levels in Afghanistan, the authorization for the use of force, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), and the B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber.   

The NDAA as reported from the House Armed Services Committee does contain some specific language and funding elevating EW-related matters. Below are the highlights of report language and program funding. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis through the defense budget process.

Report Language Highlights:

• Supports EA–18G ALQ–99 tactical jamming system modernization (p. 17).
• Calls for assessment of SEWIP Block II or SEWIP Lite to improve Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) capability (p. 23).
• Directs briefing on modernization plan for B–52 (p. 25).
• Supports the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) modernization program for the F–15C fleet (p. 28).
• Calls for Joint EW Wargaming to model and evaluate preparedness of the joint force (p. 79).
• Directs OSD to provide Congress with a summary of deployable assured position, navigation, and timing systems (PNT) (p. 77).
• Requires Secretary of Defense through Section 1618 to develop and implement a plan to increase resilience for the positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capacity for the Department of Defense (p. 270).
• Establishes through Section 1699C a Pilot Program on Electromagnetic Spectrum Mapping (p. 288).

Program Highlights:

• $5.8m for Army EW Planning and Management Tool (EW PMT) (Army Procurement).
• $52.9 million for modification of Navy Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) systems (Navy Procurement).
• $240.4 million for Navy SEWIP program (Navy Procurement).
• $122.9 million for Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM), an increase of $118 million above request for LAIRCM on C-130, C-17, and C-5 aircraft (USAF Procurement).
• $166.5 million for Compass Call modifications (USAF Procurement).
• $17 million add for CREW unfunded requirement (OCO Procurement).
• $164.9 for Assured Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (Army RDT&E).
• $173.4 million for EA-18G RDT&E System Development and Demonstration (SDD) (Navy RDT&E).
• $83 million for Electronic Warfare Development under Navy RDT&E SDD, including an additional $29 million for EWSA and Intrepid Tiger II (Navy RDT&E).
• $209.8 million for F-15 EPAWSS (USAF RDT&E).
• $21.5 million for Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) (OCO RDT&E).
• $3 million add for EW Technology to provide Multi-Domain Battle Exercise Capability.

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AOC VIRTUAL SERIES JULY 27: Introduction to Direction Finding Systems
Thursday, July 13 | 14:00-15:00 EST (18:00-19:00 UTC)

Direction Finding (DF) is a critical technology across the spectrum of Electronic Warfare (EW) applications and domains, with increasing demands for accuracy even as the electromagnetic spectrum becomes more congested. The goal of this presentation is to provide an understanding of how radio frequency DF systems work in both communications and radar applications.

Starting with amplitude and phase comparison DF systems, their operation, accuracy, and applications will be explored. This will be followed by a similar discussion for Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) and Frequency Difference of Arrival (FDOA). DF system components are also discussed, with a focus on the antenna, arrays, and DF specific electronics. This understanding of the system architecture and DF methods is then used to evaluate their accuracy and how that is measured. This presentation will conclude with an overview of current DF methods for multiple simultaneous signals, such as Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) and Estimation of Signal Parameters via Rotational Invariance Technique (ESPIRIT).

Register Now

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PRESENTATIONS DUE FRIDAY: 3rd Annual Cyber Electromagnetic Activity (CEMA) Conference, October 16-19
October 16-19, 2017 | Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
"The Multi-Domain Battle: A Combined Arms Approach to Enabling Maneuver through CEMA Operations"

This year's focus will be on the emerging Joint Army/USMC Multi-Domain Battle concept and the implications with respect to CEMA. The MDB entails a combined arms approach for ground combat operations against a sophisticated peer enemy threat in the 2025-2040 timeframe. Building on current service and joint doctrine, the MDB requires flexible and resilient ground formations that project combat power into the land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains. It is a continued evolution of the combined arms methodology to include not only those capabilities of the physical domains, but places even greater emphasis on space, cyberspace, and other contested areas such as the EMS, the information environment, and the cognitive dimension of warfare. As for the role of CEMA in the MDB, it's about creating and exploiting exploit temporary windows of advantage in and presenting adversaries with multiple dilemmas in the spectrum across time/space with an intensity and duration of our choosing. Acknowledging that the world is very different now with more capable near-peer adversaries who are able to contest all physical domains as well as cyberspace, we need to recognize that and challenge the CEMA community of interest for novel, adaptive and innovative capability solutions in EW, Cyber, SIGINT and other related technology areas. This is just the nature of the current environment.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Due JULY 14
The CEMA 2017 conference committee is soliciting original papers from the United States and Five Eyes Nations, Government, Academia, Industry, Operators, and Subject Matter Experts to discuss current and emerging trends in Electronic Warfare, Cyber, Signals Intelligence, and Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations. Conference presentations may be classified TS/SCI US Only, Secret Releasable FVEYS or Unclassified//FOUO (please indicate which classification you are submitting for as we will have multiple sessions at various classification levels); however, abstracts must be unclassified.

All who attend will gain a better understanding with respect to current and future threats, emerging requirements, technological advances, policy, and potential opportunities for collaboration. You are invited to submit an abstract of presentation that align with the following topics:

1. Cyberspace Effects Cell – User Perspectives (17/29 series, and 25E only)
2. Emerging Threats, Capability Gaps, and Requirements
3. CEMA Contribution to the Multi-Domain Battle Concept
4. CEMA Programs and Acquisition Initiatives
5. Rapid Capabilities in Support of Urgent Needs
6. Warfighting Perspective
7. CEMA Science & Technology Trends
8. Experimentation, Exercises and Training
9. Joint, International and Industry Perspectives and Opportunities
10. Advanced Technology & Special Interest (TS/SCI)

Please forward abstracts Ms. Christine Armstrong at armstrong@crows.org by 14 July 2017. Abstracts are limited to one page of text or 400 words.

Conference Details

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PRESENTATIONS DUE MONDAY, JULY 17: 2nd Annual Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare Systems Engineering and Acquisition Conference, September 26-28
Our adversaries are using ubiquitous and cheap technology to further develop cyber warfare as well as advance and proliferate electromagnetic spectrum capabilities. Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) is the Navy's warfighting approach to gain a decisive military advantage in the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) to enable freedom of action across all Navy mission areas. Success demands a holistic system of systems focus looking not only at the systems themselves but also the "interstitial" space which is the dimension of the systems. EMW will require coordination and simultaneous integration across all domains (land, sea, subsurface, air, space, and cyber). EMW, in essence, means leveraging the cyberspace domain and the full electromagnetic spectrum for both offensive and defensive effects.

EMW is not a program, or system, or even a refined concept of operations. It is an emerging operational approach, one we must master to fully understand the battlespace. We must then use that awareness to better employ our own forces while altering the enemy's perception of the battlespace and minimizing his freedom to maneuver within it.

Mastering EMW will have commercial, financial and political impacts. It is important for program managers, engineers, and business planners to be aware of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) process, the tools used, and the complexities in performing defense acquisition and systems development in the emerging EMS environment in order to provide value to managing and performing program funding and mission success.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS



Dr. William Conley, SES
Deputy Director, Office of the Under Secretary of) Defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (OUSD AT&L/A/) Tactical Warfare Systems

The Honorable Rob Wittman
US House of Representatives (VA-1)

Mr. Bryan Clark
Senior Fellow, Center for  Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA)

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: DUE JULY 17
The conference committee is soliciting original presentations (both classified and unclassified) from US leaders, operators, subject matter experts and thinkers from the military, academia, and industry. You are invited to submit an unclassified abstract of presentation for the following topics:

Focus Question 1: How can combined EMW capabilities in the sea, air, and land domains generate enhanced combat effects?
Focus Question 2: How can a system of systems focus enhance EMW capabilities?
Focus Question 3: How will coordination and simultaneous integration across all domains (land, sea, subsurface, air, space, and cyber) improve EMW capabilities?
Focus Question 4: What tools, processes, innovations, techniques, and best practices can be used to support program managers and business planners in today’s unique and complex acquisition environment?

Abstracts for presentations must be unclassified, Distro C and in text format. Please forward abstracts to Ms. Christine Armstrong at armstrong@crows.org by July 17, 2017. Abstracts are limited to one page of text or 400 words.

Learn More..

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CONGRATULATIONS to the 2017 AOC Award Winners!
The AOC will recognize the premier leaders in EW, IO and EMS Operations fields throughout our 54th Annual Symposium and Convention. Please join us in celebrating these award winners for their exemplary service to our community. The Gold Medal Award is the highest award given by the AOC for outstanding advances and contributions in all fields of EW and IO. The Gold Medal Award will be presented during the Opening Session on Tuesday, November 28th. The Hal Gershanoff Silver Medal Award is presented to an AOC member to recognize outstanding service in furthering the goals of the Association or its Chapter Organization(s). It is the highest award given to a member for service to the AOC. The Hal Gershanoff Silver Medal, the Colonel Anton D. Brees Lifetime Service Awards, and the Joseph W. Kearney Award will be presented at the Annual Banquet on Wednesday, November 29th. All other Individual awards will be presented at separate venues.

Full List of Award Winners
AOC Annual Symposium and Convention Page

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CALL FOR PAPERS: 54th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention, November 28-30 in Washington, D.C.
"Innovation and Change in Electromagnetic Warfare"

The electromagnetic environment is changing at an increasing pace, and thus the importance of electronic warfare (EW) system adaptability, flexibility, and innovation has also increased. Not only are innovative technologies greatly needed, but the Industry and EW Community itself needs to change organizationally to embrace innovative ideas, technologies, and tactics – and at a significantly faster pace. Innovation is more than just technology refresh, it is also culture refresh.

The 54th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention will focus specifically on these ideas and provide Industry, Government, and Militaries a world-class forum to address how we should change and innovate as an EW community. The Symposium will highlight some of the most advanced and innovative technologies on the horizon and discuss how organizational change can be embraced to be more agile and engender more calculated risk taking. Talks will focus on what challenges are currently in the way and some stories of how change is currently being implemented.

Upgrades to our systems, as well as our acquisition cultures, is vital to maintain (and in some cases, regain) our electromagnetic warfare superiority.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The 54th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention will be focusing this year's Technical Sessions on Innovation as the overarching theme. There will be four (4) topic area Technical Sessions representing the very latest in EW technologies and innovations. To that end, we are requesting abstracts for paper presentation against any of the four (4) topic areas specifically. The Technical Sessions are titled:

1) Innovations in Modular Multi-Mission EW/SIGINT/COMMS Open Systems Architectures
2) Innovations in Software Defined Radios/Transceivers
3) Innovations in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
4) Innovations in Jammer Technologies

Deadline for Submission of Paper Abstracts: July 31

Call for Papers Details
Symposium Details

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CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: 6th Annual AOC Pacific Conference, October 17-19 in Honolulu
Non-Kinetic Fires (EW & IO) in the Multi-Domain Battle

The theme for the 2017 AOC Pacific Conference, "Non-Kinetic Fires (EW & IO) in the Multi-Domain Battle," will drive discussions that build upon those from the last two AOC Pacific Conferences, that examined the role of IO in countering/defeating Anti-Access and Area Denial (A2/AD) strategies (2016), IO in Hybrid Warfare (2015).

America’s current and potential adversaries in the Pacific regard EW and cyber as critical components of both peacetime hybrid warfare and A2/AD. An example of offensive cyber used as part of hybrid warfare is seen in the recent "Wanna Cry" computer attack, launched by North Korea’s 6,700-strong "hacking Army" which is based worldwide. The importance of effective electronic protect computer network defense was reinforced by MG Patricia Frost, who stated simply "Without the network, there is no Multi-Domain Battle." Our adversaries will make this difficult, as they seek to overmatch our EP and CND capabilities. It is a real concern among defense experts that adversaries and threat actors are employing automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities at rates that exceeding that of the U.S.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: DUE AUGUST 31
AOC and the PACOM J39 is soliciting original unclassified English language presentations and/or papers for the 6th AOC Pacific Conference from subject matter experts in the U.S. and Allied militaries/government, as well as from academia and industry on the conference theme. Presentations for the full symposium must be UNCLASSIFIED, or UNCLASSIFIED releasable to participating Allied militaries of Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. Presentations for classified sessions at Camp Smith should be at the SECRET REL/FVEY level, or at higher classification for smaller break-out sessions.

Potential Speakers are invited to note the conference sessions topics and specific areas of interest:

• Warfighting perspectives from the Information Related Capability areas with respect to the requirements of MDB.
• Historical and current perspectives of the application of IO to overcome anti-access strategies and to reach target audiences in denied environments
• Analysis of current and potential A2/AD threats to the U.S. and her Pacific Allies.
• Analysis of adversary and potential adversary offensive EW and cyber strategies for peacetime, crisis, and conflict.
• Experimentation, Exercises and Training for the application of IO in support of MDB.
• Current and emerging technology solutions for the effective employment of information-related capabilities in MDB.

Please contact the Symposium Chair, Arthur Tulak, COL USA, Ret, at arthur.n.tulak.ctr@pacom.mil if you are interested in speaking or want more information and provide the title of the proposed paper, a brief synopsis, and information on the speaker. Industry presentations that support the conference theme may be submitted for either the UNCLASSIFIED or SECRET REL FVEY days. Company or product-focused briefs will not be accepted. The deadline for submitting is close of business Wednesday, 31 August 2017, but earlier is better.

Learn More...

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The National Electronics Museum created Go Fund Me site with the goal of raising $960.00 to sponsor 12 students for our Pioneer Camp 2017.

In 2007 the National Electronics Museum launched a successful summer program, for students ages 8-10, called Pioneer Camp. Kids spend two full days at the museum learning about science and engineering through museum tours, hands-on demos, and workshops. They practice teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking plus they go home with a project they built themselves.

Tuition is $80.00 which covers the cost of supplies, salaries, and program design. I met with a group of educators who spoke highly of Pioneer Camp 2016. They mentioned there were students who wanted to attend but their parents could not afford the cost. This year we set aside 12 spots, out a total of 80, and reached out to the local schools to identify deserving students with a financial need. You can help by going to the site and donating any amount. If we exceed our goal that money will be set aside for future sponsorships.

Help us help these future engineers and scientists – make a donation today
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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 Royal Australian Air Force is going from an air arm whose electronic warfare capability has largely been made up of off-the-shelf defensive jamming pods to one with some of the most potent and cutting-edge aerial jamming and electronic attack capabilities in the world. In addition to the country's 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets ordered as a "stop-gap" measure to bridge between the retirement of the much beloved F-111 and the introduction of the F-35A, a dozen EA-18G Growlers were also ordered by Canberra. The RAAF is the first export customer of the EA-18G, and the inclusion of the type into the force's order of battle represents a massive leap in capability for Australia and for its allies in the region. (The Drive)
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Pentagon chiefs are looking to Silicon Valley to present ideas for a ‘now you see me, now you don’t’ cloaking technology for the largest aircraft in the fleet – aerial refuelling tankers. According to top officials from the Air Mobility Command, there is no point cloaking fighter jets while all the enemy has to do is look for the refueller. So what options are out there? Claire Apthorp finds out. (Airforce-Technology.com)
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If media coverage is to be believed, we are in the midst of a cyberwar with daily attacks occurring across several theaters. Between dropping "cyber-bombs" on the Islamic State, Chinese intruders pilfering precious technology, and Russian information operations shaping the U.S. political process, it seems that the continuous power struggle between nations is now most commonly waged on the internet. While there might be some truth to that narrative, the reality is — of course — more nuanced. It’s difficult to define and explain attacks that are entirely virtual. To understand this, one must understand a few points about offensive network operations. First, cyber operations are not as novel as they appear. Rather, they draw heavily from the integration of electronic warfare into joint operations. (War on the Rocks)
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The United States is moving too slowly in response to North Korea’s rapidly improving missile development program, the general in charge of America’s nuclear arsenal said. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, who leads U.S. Strategic Command, said the U.S. must take more technological risk to counter the communist state’s risk-taking leader, Kim Jong Un. "Kim Jong Un has gone very fast, and we have to step up and go fast in response," Hyten said in an interview with Stars and Stripes on Sunday. "We are not going fast. We are so risk-averse that we only test every 18 months." (Stars and Stripes)
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Over the past 15 years, the Army has rightly focused on winning the current fight, said Maj. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, director of operations for the Army Rapid Capabilities Office, known as the RCO. During that time, however, the nation’s adversaries have invested in technologies in an attempt to gain parity. The rate of technological change has also encouraged the Army and sister services to stay ahead of any potential capabilities gaps in critical areas. The RCO seeks new approaches to these problems to ensure that the Army remains prepared for future challenges, Shoffner said at the Association of the United States Army’s Hot Topics seminar "Army Sustainment," June 29. (Military Spot)
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The Navy is hoping that a new, more powerful, high-tech electronic warfare jamming technology will allow strike aircraft to destroy enemy targets without being detected by modern surface-to-air missile defenses. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is adding its Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) technology into its next Increment 2 phase to prepare the electronic warfare system to disable advanced enemy air defenses. (Defense Systems)
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In the new age of 21st-century electronic warfare, law enforcement Marines will scour battlefields for the enemy’s cell phones and forensic intelligence, drones will help infantry Marines land ashore out of sight of the adversary, and radio operators will use frequencies to disrupt the enemy’s hacking abilities. These innovations are part of a new command known as the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force’s Information Group that on July 6, made history at Camp Pendleton by becoming the first of its kind among the Corps’ Marine expeditionary forces. (Task & Purpose)
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Boeing has delivered the full fleet of 12 EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft to Royal Australian Air Force. The last two Growlers arrived at the RAAF Base Amberley on Saturday, completing the deliver which commenced in Feb 2017. The EA-18G Growler provide tactical escort/standoff jamming and electronic protection using onboard Radio Frequency Jammers that render enemy radar and radio systems ineffective. They disrupt, deceive or deny a broad range of military electronic systems, including radars and communications improving survivability and mission success. (Aviation Analysis)
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The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will upgrade its fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, to include new advanced combat identification sensors; tactical datalinks; communications hardware and encryption system; and mission computing hardware and software upgrades. The fleet was delivered by Boeing from 2009 to 2012, following a troubled development. Australian defense minister Marise Payne announced the upgrade the day before she presided over delivery of the last two of 12 Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the RAAF. (AIN Online)
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