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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Platinum Sponsor

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SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED: Register Now for the 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!

KEYNOTE AND DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS


MajGen James Livingston, USMC (Ret.)
Congreessional Medal of Honor Recipient     

COL Bryant Glando, USA
Chief, Regional Inter Agency Division,
USCYBERCOM

Captain Scott Heller
Commanding Officer,
SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic
   
Col Brandan Harris, USAF
Deputy Director, Mission Integration Directrorate,
National Reconnaissance Office

Conference Details

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CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: Electromagnetic Maneuver Warfare (EMW) Systems Engineering and Acquisition Conference, September 20-22

Our adversaries are using ubiquitous and cheap technology to further develop cyber warfare as well as advance and proliferate electromagnetic spectrum capabilities. EMW is an operational approach to seizing the initiative across the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). The goal is to combine EMW capabilities in the sea, air and land domains to generate enhanced combat effects. 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 art, 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.

Well-developed program strategies optimize the time and cost required to satisfy approved capability needs. The Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Process allocates resources within the DoD to perform this optimization. It is important for program managers, engineers and business planners to be aware of the 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.

We encourage you to participate in this conference and receive several perspectives on EMW, it’s convergence with Cyber Warfare, as well as obtaining insight into defense acquisition and DoD systems engineering. We need these perspectives to not only survive in a challenging fiscal environment, but also to help EW missions contribute more to our critical overall national defense mission.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: DUE JUNE 17
The conference committee is soliciting original unclassified papers from US and international leaders, operators, subject matter experts and thinkers from the military, academia and industry. You are invited to submit an 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 is Cyber warfare converging on EW and EMW? What are emerging tools, processes and systems that reflect this convergence?
Focus Question 3: How does model-based engineering provide value in the systems engineering environment and what are innovative modeling solutions which should be considered for application?

Abstracts for presentations must be at the unclassified level and in text format. Please forward abstracts to Ms. Shelley Frost at frost@crows.org by June 17, 2016. Abstracts are limited to one page of text or 400 words. To facilitate the selection processes, please ensure your submitted abstract file is labeled with your last name and short title. For example: "Smith_EW is the Future.doc." Conference presentations may be classified Secret US Only or unclassified (please indicate which classification you are submitting for since we’ll have unclassified and one classified session); however, abstracts must be unclassified. Notification of acceptance and presentation submission instructions will be by July 8, 2016

Conference Details

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The AOC is playing an important role in providing knowledge and expertise in ongoing Senate (S. 2486) and House (H.R. 4851) companion bills entitled "EW Capabilities Enhance Act." The legislation was introduced by Sen. Mark Kirk (IL) and Reps. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) and Rick Larsen (WA-02), respectively. Efforts are being spearheaded by long-time AOC consultant, Ken Miller. From the outset, Ken conducted Senate outreach to offer assistance and communicate AOC position with staffs from various Senate offices, including: Gillibrand (NY), Moran (KS), Donnelly (IN), Portman (OH), Vitter (LA), Isakson (GA), Donnelly (IN), Gardner (NJ), Tester (MT), McCaskill (MO), and Rubio (FL), among others. In the House, Ken worked with Reps. Walorski and Larsen, co-chairs of the EW Working Group, to raise awareness and gather cosponsors.
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The AOC, in collaboration with Robins, GA - based 21st Century Partnership, the Aerospace Industry Committee (Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce) and the Dixie Crow Chapter of the AOC convened its 1st Annual Robins AFB Congressional Breakfast on April 27 at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event was co-hosted by GA Senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue and Representatives Austin Scott (GA-08) and Sanford Bishop (GA-02). The event keynote speaker was former GA Senator Saxby Chambliss and attendance was highlighted by military leaders from US Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), including Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, Commander, AFMC; Lt. Gen. John Thompson, Commander, USAF Life Cycle Management Center; and Lt. Gen. Lee Levy, Commander, USAF Sustainment Center.
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It has been awhile since the prequels and even longer since the original releases. There is a lot of nostalgia to be seen. To be honest, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear about standing ovations of historical characters, just like in the theater, but in living rooms since the DVD and BluRay release. The lightsaber duels are far more animated and better choreographed than previous films.
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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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CHECK OUT THE AOC JOB VACANCIES PAGE: Positions Posted Now, Employers Can Post 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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The military has already designated cyberspace as the fifth domain of war – along with the four physical domains of air, land, sea and space – and it’s mulling making the electromagnetic spectrum the sixth domain. Frequently, however, the two are converging, as a recent exercise demonstrated. Personnel from the 25th Infantry Division and the 7th Signal Command Cyber Protection Brigade participated in a "Cyber Blitz" during the last two weeks of April. (Defense Systems)
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Clearly, Obama’s pivot to Asia to contain China (as well as Russia) came as a timely warning to Beijing to take precautionary measures against U.S. mischief in the South China Sea. China is determined to block American vessels that might obstruct the Chinese navigation of trade vessels to Middle East and Central Asia in the South China Sea (SCS). (Modern Diplomacy)
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INDSUTRY NEWS: DARPA to Develop More Flexible RF System For Small UAS

Today’s radio-frequency (RF) systems for radar, electronic warfare (EW) and communications use separate, dedicated hardware, software and antennas, making it difficult to fit all three functions on smaller platforms such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) because of the space and power required. DARPA is launching a program to develop an RF system capable of adaptively and flexibly switching among communications, radar and EW modes. (Subscription required) (Aviation Week)
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"When most people when they hear me talk about this, they immediately start to think of think of Skynet and Terminator," said the deputy secretary of defense. "I think more in terms of Iron Man." The Pentagon wants artificial intelligence, said Bob Work, but it doesn’t want "killer robots that roam the battlefield" without human control. Instead, Work said told an Atlantic Council conference, citing half-a-dozen science fiction stories from Iron Man to Stark Trek to Ender’s Game, the goal is something like the JARVIS software that runs Tony Stark’s fictional super-suit. (Breaking Defense)
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In their techno-thriller Ghost Fleet, authors Peter Singer and August Cole describe a cataclysmic world war that begins with a Chinese sneak attack against the U.S. in space. First, soldiers at China’s Cyber Command Headquarters in Shanghai hack into the Pentagon’s network of GPS satellites and scramble their signals. The cyberattack sows chaos among U.S. forces, which can no longer navigate accurately, track targets or hit them with precision munitions. Then, from a space station orbiting 200 miles above Earth, Chinese astronauts train a laser gun on three dozen U.S. satellites the military relies upon for virtually all of its communications and critical surveillance. (Newsweek)
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U.S. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) has increasingly depended on commercial technology to gain an edge in battle. This has paid off as Islamic terrorists have moved some of the combat to the Internet, which they use for recruiting, fund raising, training and carrying out attacks or for defense. SOCOM is now turning to commercial Internet marketing software systems to better (and more quickly) analyze what Islamic terrorists are doing on the Internet. (Strategy Page)
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Russia is developing a new mobile air defense system for its elite airborne troops that will be based on the BMD-4M armored vehicle. The new weapon system — which is designed to be parachuted down to ground forces — will be able to protect paratroopers from enemy aircraft operating at high or medium altitudes. "Work is underway on the on the creation of an air-droppable anti-aircraft missile defense system based on the BMD-4M airborne combat vehicle. The experimental design work is codenamed Ptitselov." (War is Boring)
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As green-skinned, half-assembled F-35 Joint Strike Fighters take shape, this massive factory that once cranked out thousands of World War II bombers is preparing to get real busy again. F-35 production is slated to hit full steam in 2019, and Lockheed Martin is reshaping its final assembly line to get ready. Not far from the nine assembly stations where the stealthy jets are coming together, wooden walls and plastic sheeting rise dozens of feet to the ceiling, blocking off large portions of the plant where new laser-leveled concrete is being poured. (Defense One)
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If ground forces are obsolete, why are the Chinese bothering to build all those artificial islands in the South China Sea? The answer to that is key to the U.S. Army’s emerging vision of its future role, a complex combination of old-fashioned close combat, resilient wireless networks and advanced long-range weapons that extend the Army’s reach well beyond the land. (Breaking Defense)
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Despite Russia’s defense budget sequestration, ranging from 5 to 10 percent depending on the source, the political-military leadership continues to put a brave face on meeting the expectations generated by its fantastically ambitious rearmament plans to 2020. The Kremlin, no doubt buoyed by the performance of the Russian Armed Forces in seizing Crimea and during ongoing military operations in Syria, has much to boast about concerning progress toward a high-tech, compact and modern military. (The National Interest)
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