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.

Department of Navy Approval Letter - Click here

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


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

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

RDML Lorin Selby
Commander
Naval Surface Warfare Center

Conference Details

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CONFERENCE AGENDA AND SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED: Register Now for the 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.

NEW: CONFERENCE AGENDA. Click HERE to View

FEATURED SPEAKERS



Colonel Jeffery Church
Chief of the Electronic Warfare Division, Army G-3/5/7 Operations Directorate, US

Lt. Col J.C Deering
Head of Electronic Warfare, Royal Netherlands Airforce

LTC Karen Himmelheber
Secretary, NATO EW Advisory Committee

Air Cdre Madelein Spit
Assistant Director, Joint Air Power Competence Centre & Air Force Armaments Group Chair, NATO

Conference Details
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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.

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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.

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GOLD SPONSORS

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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.

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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MAPLE LEAF CHAPTER NEWS: Advanced Principles of Electronic Defense Course, May 17-20
This four-day course is designed for individuals who have completed a fundamental electronic defense (ED) course or have significant experience in the field. Legacy and next generation threats and ED techniques are covered at an unclassified level. This course avoids deep mathematical coverage, explaining all concepts in practical, physical terms. Breakfast, lunch, coffee and a parking pass will be provided. Course-related books published by Dave Adamy will be included (ED 103 and 104). The AOC Maple Leaf Chapter will also host an informal social evening for attendees, sponsors and invited guests.
Course Details

ARTICLE ON THE COURSE: Electronic Warfare School
Wouldn’t it have been fun in college if you could have dropped your basic philosophy or English course for a beginning track on electronic warfare (EW), studying basic concepts such as electronic attack, jamming equations, laser radars and anti-radiation missiles? Now you can get those basics in a four-day course offered by the Maple Leaf Chapter of the Association of Old Crows (AOC), Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and the AOC headquarters in Washington – and you don’t even have to be an engineer.
Full Article

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The Navy's information warfare experts are taking on a new name. As of this month, information warfare officers responsible for signals intelligence, cyber operations and electronic warfare ops will be known as cryptologic warfare officers. The change was announced this week by Vice Adm. Jan Tighe, head of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and commander of the U.S. 10th Fleet. (Military.com)
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Here is a great disconnect in the Department of Defense. Leaders at the highest levels realize we are falling behind – or have already fallen behind – Russia and China in electronic warfare, the invisible battle of detecting and disrupting the radar and radio transmissions on which a modern military depends. Even in the traditionally lower-tech world of land warfare, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work told me EW was a pillar of the future Army, alongside the new domain of cyber and the traditional arts of fire and maneuver. (Breaking Defense)
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Two years ago, Russia annexed Crimea — and demonstrated why NATO still matters. This week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin surprised the world again by calling most of his troops home from Syria, leaving us to wonder what his next move might be. Will he focus on Ukraine again, or will he get involved somewhere else in Europe’s south? No matter where he goes, the Alliance needs to make sure it has a credible response. Here are four things NATO needs to do when its leaders gather at their Warsaw Summit in July. (Defense One)
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Army researchers have come up with a noise-encrypted waveform that will allow radar operators to see without being seen—an increasingly important aspect for units operating in contested electromagnetic environments. The tunable Advanced Pulse Compression Noise, or APCN, waveform, developed at the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, will allow soldiers to optimize radar performance whether under electronic warfare attack from an adversary or just operating in a crowded, high-traffic environment. (Defense Systems)
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After two decades of largely ignoring the danger, the Army is seriously training for a scary scenario: what if GPS, our satellite communications and our wireless networks go down? It’s hardly a hypothetical threat. Russian electronic warfare units locate Ukrainian troops by their transmissions and jam their radios so they can’t call for help, setting them up for slaughter. (Breaking Defense)
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One of the most curious policies of former presidential candidate Martin O'Malley (D) was his steadfast insistence on greater human intelligence as a means of addressing shortfalls in the Middle East. "[W]e need to do a much better job as a nation of having human intelligence on the ground so that we know who the emerging next generation leaders are that are coming up to replace a dictator when his time on this planet ends," he said at the first Democratic debate in October. "We have failed as a country to invest in the human intelligence that would allow us to make not only better decisions in Libya, but better decisions in Syria today. And it's a huge national security failing." (The Hill)
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As Russia turned the Syrian conflict into an exhibition ground for its newly robust military over the past six months, its neighbors were watching with rapt interest. This, after all, was a sterling opportunity to assess Russia’s new battlefield capabilities, in the form of ship-based cruise missiles, improved logistics and elite units. And on display, too, were Russia’s weaknesses. (Washington Post)
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The U.S. Army's top technology official described her pursuit of a future force that includes high-powered lasers, self sustaining combat outposts and autonomous deep learning machines. Mary Miller, the deputy assistant secretary for Research and Technology, said in a speech here at the Association of the U.S. Army's Global Force Symposium & Exposition that the Army has remained committed to its modernization plan in the face of continual budget cuts by protecting early stage research funding. (Military.com)
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In the category of 'Outside the Box,' Mr. Daniel Robison, NRL Tactical Electronic Warfare Division, is named winner for the development of Electronic Warfare Battle Management Software. This category seeks to identify contributions that are cross-cutting and represent a change in thinking. The novel software and system architecture, developed by Robinson, enables for the first time an interconnection between a tactical electronic warfare system and intelligence assets to provide advanced warning critical to defeating modern anti-ship threats. (NRL)
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Beyond pinpointing a geographic location, the Global Positioning System offers another key function that's found in nearly every corner of modern industry and consumer technology – time. GPS systems are used primarily for timing, in order to compute physical positions. And GPS can be found in everyday transactions and devices including ATMs and smartphones. (CNBC)
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The operation of Russia’s air group in Syria has proved the effectiveness of Russian radio-electronic warfare means, the first deputy CEO of the Radioelectronic Technologies concern (an affiliate of Rostec), Igor Nasenkov, told the media. "The equipment was tested. I won’t say what was tested and how. It proved combat-ready and demonstrated the expected tactical and technical parameters. We were able to see for ourselves that all terms of reference we had received from the Defense Ministry have been met. (TASS News Agency)
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