KEYNOTE SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED: 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.

DOWNLOAD AGENDA HERE

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Mr. William P. Bray, SES
Executive Director, Program Executive Office
Integrated Warfare Systems Office of the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research,
Development and Acquisition)

Margaret G. Palmieri
Director, Integrated Fires (OPNAV N2N6F3)

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JUST ONE MONTH AWAY: Register Now for the 16th Annual AOC Electronic Warfare Europe, May 10-12 in Rotterdam
"Transforming EW – Evolving Threats, Concepts and Capabilities"

Don't miss this critical event in Rottderam, named one of the top 10 cities to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet!

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.

EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS APRIL 22, SO DON'T DELAY!

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

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

Dave Hime
President, AOC

Conference Details
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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.

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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.

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REGISTER NOW: 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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MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) Systems Engineering and Acquisition Conference, September 20-22

Just announced! Stay turned to the Conference page for additional information.

Conference Page

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SAVE THE DATE: Cyber Electromagnetic Activity 2016, October 17-20

Just Announced – the second annual CEMA Conference, October 17-20 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. Save the date and stay tuned for more information.

Conference Page

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NEW VIDEO: Don't Miss the AOC on Vimeo
See EW in action! Click the image or HERE to play on Vimeo.

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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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As the U.S. Navy expands its EA-18G Growler operations, pilots remain keen on the aircraft’s electronic warfare performance. The service says it has enough Boeing Growlers to meet requirements, but some analysts disagree, and the Pentagon is conducting an electronic warfare study that could require the acquisition of more EA-18Gs, the only aerial electronic attack weapon in the U.S. quiver. (Free Subscription) (Aviation Week)
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In the latest of its Cyber Innovation Challenges, the Army is focusing on industry solutions for a software-based prototype model that can deliver a complete cyber situational awareness picture on the battlefield. According to a notice issued on April 6, the challenge intends to "evaluate the technical feasibility of a risk-based Cyber Situational Awareness (SA) capability tool at echelon." (Defense Systems)
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The Navy and Marine Corps are developing concepts of operations for littoral operations in contested environments, including near Syria with Russian anti-access weapons deployed, officials told the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee this week. After Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) asked about the effect of Russian weapons like the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft missile system and P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missile on operations in the Eastern Mediterranean, Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh said that the chief of naval operations and commandant of the Marine Corps had tasked the Naval Board with looking at that type of scenario. (USNI News)
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In 2003, Maj. Peter Di Giorgio, a West Point graduate, deployed to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. In 2008, he deployed to Iraq. Now, he’s deployed on an altogether new type of battleground: taking down enemy combatants in the virtual world and defending the country from malicious hackers overseas. (IBT/Yahoo News)
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The Army is being forced to sacrifice modernization in favor of readiness even as America’s enemies become increasingly capable, senior leaders testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill. "Our competitive advantage we’ve continually banked on is decreasing, [and] the Army risks losing its qualitative overmatch in future conflicts," said Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center. "With the 74 percent decrease in Army modernization total obligation authority since 2008, the risk to mission and soldiers is increasing." (Army Times)
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In the early morning of January 17, 1991, 10 F-117 Nighthawks slipped through the air over Iraq. The aircraft, designed for a Soviet threat in Europe, were perfectly suited for penetrating Iraqi airspace, which relied almost entirely on Soviet air defense systems. The F-117 was designed to be as stealthy as possible; its faceted shape reflected radar waves away, the exhaust was baffled and mixed with cool air, and the aircraft was painted a non-reflective black. No betraying emission slipped free, as the aircraft had no radar, no radar altimeter and no datalink, and the pilots retracted the radio antennas and turned the radios off. (War on the Rocks)
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Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster issued a warning April 5 to the Senate Armed Services Airland subcommittee saying that the service will be "...outranged and outgunned by many potential adversaries in the future...." This statement garnered much attention in the media, but it artificially assesses Army capabilities in a stovepipe and fails to account for the realities of joint power projection. Bottom line: the individual services don’t fight wars, the Combatant Commanders do by assembling an optimized mix of forces from each of the services to execute a given strategy to attain a desired set of conditions against a specific threat. (Breaking Defense)
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The Army’s official futurist may have overstated the case when he said "we are outranged and outgunned by many potential adversaries," the service’s chief of staff said this morning — but not by much. To make things worse, Gen. Mark Milley told the Senate, we have become dependent on huge headquarters with lots of highly detectable electronics that make them "nothing but a big target." (Breaking Defense)
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Today is christening day for DARPA’s Sea Hunter, a full-scale prototype of an autonomous surface vessel that’s designed to be able to launch from a pier and go out on its own for weeks or months at a time, for thousands of miles at a stretch. The 132-foot-long, diesel-powered vessel was built by U.S. defense contractor Leidos under DARPA’s ACTUV program, a somewhat clunky nested acronym that stands for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel. (IEEE Spectrum)
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Russian Helicopters will integrate a defensive aids suite onto some of its military rotorcraft that it claims will make them invulnerable to attacks by air-to-air and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. The President-S system – built by Rostec sister company Kret – includes a laser illumination detector, ultraviolet missile approach warning system, electro-optical electronic warfare system, decoy flares and control system. (Flightglobal)
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