DON'T MISS TOMORROW'S WEBINAR: Networks in the Tactical Environment, March 17
1400-1500 EDT (1800-1900 GMT)
The observed manner by which consumers easily access and share information using Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) technologies is influencing how planners envision the conduct of 21st Century military operations. However, the environment that each operates within are drastically different resulting, false assumptions. Though the concept of System of Systems (SoS) approaches are well reasoned and existing technology should support their implementation, comparing the tactical environment with the commercial reveals a whole host of unique challenges. Factors such as environmental conditions, dynamic network configuration and server access along with the unique characteristics of each participating node impacts the ability to command and control the internal and external movement of information throughout the battle space. Even though each SoS and its associated operating environment is unique, Networks in the Tactical Environment will identify, describe and help the participant better understand how these factors impact the 21st Century Warfighter using analysis and recent examples.

Register Now

GOLD SPONSOR

---

 

REGISTER NOW: 8th Annual EW Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange, May 10-12 at Crane, IN
EW warfighting requirements continue to evolve in their complexity and capability to meet air, ground, surface, space and cyberspace requirements. The 8th 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.

Register Now

---

 

 

REGISTER NOW: 45th Annual Collaborative Electronic Warfare Symposium, April 6-7 at Pt. Mugu
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 45th 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.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS



Rear Admiral Mathias W. Winter
Chief of Naval Research/Director, Innovation
Technology Requirements, and Test & Evaluation (N84)

RADM Mark W. Darrah
Program Executive Officer for
Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons

RDML Michael T. Moran
Program Executive Officer for
Tactical Aircraft Programs

RDML Lorin Selby
Commander
Naval Surface Warfare Center

Conference Details

---

 

REGISTER NOW: 16th Annual AOC Electronic Warfare Europe, May 10-12 in Rotterdam
"Transforming EW – Evolving Threats, Concepts and Capabilities"

As nations re-focus on contingency operations after over a decade of counter-insurgency, there are many challenges and opportunities for governments, the military, academia, science and technology and industry. Recent events have reminded everyone of the deadly nature of RF guided weaponry and that the threat from insurgents has not ended, but intensified. The widely reported use of wholesale, sophisticated Russian counter-C3 systems in and around Ukraine in parallel to cyber operations and widespread dis-information/psychological operations has given rise to what leading military and political thinkers refer to as Hybrid Warfare. The question is what does this mean for the future of EW in the free world? Almost all military operations are enabled by wide-ranging electromagnetic (EM) operations, a concept that NATO and others have fully embraced. These include SIGINT; C4ISR; precise navigation and timing; targeting; communications, spectrum management and the whole gamut of EW. But, are there new requirements for EW arising from hybrid warfare? The answer to the question then, is yes, a great deal, with an obvious example being EM-enabled cyber operations.

National forces are being re-shaped and re-equipped to face the future, which will be contested, congested, complex, connected, constrained and potentially chaotic unless the right informed choices are made now. AOC EW Rotterdam 2016 will consider the future of EW and EM Operations in the changing light of current and emerging threats, including Hybrid Warfare; it will consider the possible responses, how thinking and attitudes must change and examine the new capabilities that will be required across all lines of defence, by all services, in all countries. Part of the event will include twin-tracks focusing respectively on operations, capability and defence lines of development and industry developments and inventiveness. AOC EW Europe 2016 will once again bring together, this time in Rotterdam, perhaps the most happening and connected city in Europe right now, all the communities involved in EW, SIGINT, C4ISR, Cyber EM Activities (CEMA) and more. This is the largest global EW networking, exhibition, seminar and conference outside of the U.S., and it is not to be missed!

Conference Details

---

 

NOMINATE YOUR COLLEAGUES: 2016 AOC Awards Nominations Being Accepted Through May 1
Honor those who have furthered the discipline of Electronic Warfare (EW), Information Operations (IO), Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and the AOC! Recognize their dedication by nominating them or the unit for an AOC 2016 Individual or Unit Award!

To view the list of awards and download the application, go to http://www.crows.org/community/awards.html. Nomination Forms are due by May 1! If you have any questions concerning the awards please contact Glorianne O’Neilin (oneilin@crows.org)

---

 

APRIL 7 AOC VIRTUAL SERIES WEBINAR: Active vs Passive Electronically Scanned Antennas
1400-1500 EDT (1800-1900 GMT)

In the early 1970s, electronically scanned antennas (ESAs) emerged as a new and impactful technology for ISR missions. Replacing mechanically scanned antennas (MSAs), ESAs were much faster for beam switching from a mission timeline perspective, and eliminated the size weight and power associated with a gimbal. As ESAs became better understood, passive EW modes were added as part of their capability offering. This highlights the revolutionary impact of ESAs on the warfighter battlespace.

This talk will show the genesis from MSA to passive ESA to active ESA and provide a conceptual understanding of the advantages of an active ESA. Additionally, the talk will show how the next ESA transformation that is currently taking place is from analog active ESAs to digital active ESAs.

Register Now

GOLD SPONSORS

---

 

REGISTER FOR THE APRIL 21 WEBINAR: Challenges of Greater Data Converter Bandwidth in EW Systems
1400-1500 EDT (1800-1900 GMT)

As any practitioner of the EW trade knows, the need for greater bandwidth in signal processing electronics has been relentless. The reason for this is not only that the spectrum of interest keeps expanding, but also that the electronics hardware has to meet increasingly stringent SWaP requirements – which leads to the need for each RF-to-digital signal chain to handle a larger chunk of bandwidth. However, the requirements for dynamic range performance are not relaxing at the same time and there is a fundamental tradeoff between bandwidth and dynamic range that thus stands in the way of this trend. In this seminar we will look at this ever-present challenge and what the RF signal processing industry has been doing to deal with it. The focus of this seminar will be on the wideband data conversion section of the signal chain and all the bandwidth and dynamic range issues associated with it; as well as the state of the industry in this area.

Register Now

---

 

REGISTER FOR THE MAY 19 AOC VIRTUAL SERIES WEBINAR: Protecting the Sky: Detection, Direction Finding and Countermeasure for Threats Imposed by Radio-Controlled Micro-UAVs
1400-1500 EDT (1800-1900 GMT)

Today, more than 300.000 Radio-Controlled Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (commonly referred to as "drones") are sold worldwide every month. It was expected that around 0.5 to 1 million micro-drones were to be sold for Christmas last year in the U.S. alone. The increasing amount of affordable civilian drones capable of carrying payloads of some 100g up to a few kg leads to an emerging threat ranging from simple disturbances (privacies), spying or even incur severe destruction (terror attacks). These might include disturbing public events, important summits, endangering air traffic (drone sighting near airport), threatening governmental facilities, sensitive sites and industrial facilities (i.e. high-tech industries) as well as illegal smuggling contraband into correctional facilities and cross border.

The day has come where drones are "hovering over the sky." Facing with the challenges and difficulties of intercepting radio controlled drones especially to capture their operators, many authorities have been striving to achieve a solution in drone monitoring and countermeasures. A technical approach for countering the threats posed by such micro-drones is in tremendous demand, in order to achieve an idealized solution in "protecting the sky" against the drones.

In this webinar: "Protecting the Sky", we will provide insight into the application, specifications and impact of civilian recreational drones that are increasingly being used for other (sometimes hostile) purposes. The technical approach for countering the threats posed by drones to protected environments have been revealed, which includes:

•     monitoring the spectrum for relevant signals
•     identification and classification of frequency-agile RC signals
•     direction finding
•     possible defensive countermeasures

This webinar will review a strategic approach for the development of a solution for signal monitoring of radio-controlled microdrones and the possible countermeasures.

Register Now


Platinum Sponsor

---

 

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND: 7th Annual Cyber/Electronic Warfare Convergence Conference, June 7-9, Charleston, SC
Electronic warfare and cyberspace technical capabilities are becoming more technically similar. However, the communities that practice these disciplines remain largely separated and vary widely across the Military Services in terms of their equipment, unit organization and operating methodologies. This conference provides the EW and cyberspace communities an opportunity to collaborate and discuss capabilities, TTPs and research in EW and cyberspace operations to enable more rapid deployment of new and improved capabilities. The EW/Cyberspace Convergence Conference identifies ways to develop advanced technologies and systems to address the changing battlefield dynamics of the digital age and bring EW and cyberspace together for the Warfighter!

Conference Details

---

 

MAY 5 AOC VIRTUAL SERIES WEBINAR: Our Brave New Digital World - Where Analog Rules
1400-1500 EDT (1800-1900 GMT)

It is widely believed that the move towards digital systems has rendered analogue technologies obsolete, and that understanding the digital domain is more important than understanding physics. But as usual, the truth is far more complex! Even though we increasingly view the world through digitised eyes and use digital tools, the world remains analogue and is still governed by physical laws. Far from becoming obsolete and irrelevant, analogue technologies and physics are even more important today than ever before.

The motivation for the ever-expanding use of digital technologies will be summarised by briefly considering some aspects of the theoretical performance achievable by digital systems. Some examples of how RF and microwave front-ends and basic physical laws affect the performance of systems will then be described. In this way, the crucial importance of analogue subsystems and physical laws on the performance of any system – analogue or digital – will be demonstrated.

Register Now

---

 

The Senate Aerospace Caucus invites you for a coffee and morning download on wireless spectrum, featuring perspectives from DoD, FAA, NASA, NTIA and A&D industry reps. Please join us for an informal conversation on spectrum policy, and why it's an important issue for Congress. Sponsored by Aerospace Industries Association and the Association of Old Crows.
Learn More...

 

---

 

NEXT WEEK: Register Now for the Dixie Crow Symposium 41 EW/ISR: Today's Innovations Countering Tomorrow's Threats, March 20-24
The EW/Avionics Division, AFLCMC/WNY and the Dixie Crow Chapter of the Association of Old Crows (AOC) will co-sponsor the AF Technical Program, 2016 Dixie Crow Symposium 41, on 22-24 March 2016. The program will be at the Scott Theater (Building 1500), Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, GA. An AF conference approval request has been submitted by the EW/Avionics Division.

Register Now!

---

 

NEW AOC JOB VACANCIES PAGE: Post Your Open Positions for Free
The AOC has launched a new webpage where members and sponsors can post job vacancies. 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 that 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

---

 

The digital revolution has transformed America’s Army. In the years since 9/11, Army ground and aviation units have acquired a host of new sensors and communications systems that allow soldiers to quickly establish information dominance in the fight against terrorists. Those units now train on the assumption they can run rings around any enemy when it comes to knowing what is happening in the fog of war, and using that knowledge to defeat elusive adversaries. (Forbes)
Learn More...

 

---

 

Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Stratcom's fiscal year 2017 budget, stressing that it’s critical to modernize the nuclear deterrent capabilities that underpin national security. "Future deterrence scenarios will likely include multiple adversaries operating across multiple domains and using anti-access [and] area denial, asymmetric warfare and escalate-to-deescalate tactics," he said. "These trends affect strategic stability." (Department of Defense)
Learn More...

 

---

 

The acting Army acquisition chief is looking at how to reset and rebuild acquisition using a smaller work force with more to do. "Somehow the core mentality associated with ‘equip,’ it was removed or it was somehow abandoned at the implementation of Goldwater Nichols," Katrina McFarland said in an interview at the Association of the US Army’s Global Force Symposium. She’s been in the position for roughly a month, but has been deeply entrenched in the Pentagon since 1984. (Defense News)
Learn More...

 

---

 

After a journey almost ended by a German aircraft attack, four American intelligence officers arrived late one night in February 1941 at the large, gloomy mansion in the English countryside that was home to British spy chiefs and code breakers. Ushered inside, they began a trade in top-secret information that continues to this day, after being welcomed with a glass of sherry. (The New York Times)
Learn More...

 

---

 

Hackers using tactics and tools previously associated with Chinese government-supported computer network intrusions have joined the booming cyber crime industry of ransomware, four security firms that investigated attacks on U.S. companies said. Ransomware, which involves encrypting a target's computer files and then demanding payment to unlock them, has generally been considered the domain of run-of-the-mill cyber criminals. (Reuters)
Learn More...

 

---

 

The military is continuing to invest in giving troops portable electronic warfare capabilities, including the ability to protect ground forces from improvised explosive devices. The Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, Md., recently announced a $29.4 million contract modification for back-packable anti-IED electronic jammers to help bomb disposal crews block signals that could be used to explode a bomb or other device. (Defense Systems)
Learn More...

 

---

 

The CSA-003 is China's newest Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) aircraft. Built by the China Electronic Technology Corporation's Avionics division, the CSA-003 is a family of special mission aircraft that include maritime patrol and oil spill response. ELINT is a vital part of today's military activities and future battlefield. In addition to collecting intelligence on potential enemies' electronic activity, in a battlefield situation, it enables electronic and cyber attacks against enemy electronics through pinpointing their location and vulnerabilities. (Popular Science)
Learn More...

 

---

 

After many years of debate and planning, the Air Force is on a path to begin replacing its aging aircraft and perform upgrades that will keep some of the existing fleet operational until their successors are delivered. But experts caution that current and future Air Force leaders face a difficult task in fitting all of these equipment modernization efforts into a military budget that’s expected to have little wiggle room for the foreseeable future. (Pensacola News-Journal)
Learn More...

 

---