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Evolving the Capabilities of the MAGTF Industry News AOC News & Events AOC Chapter News and Events

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HOUSING DEADLINE IS FRIDAY: Register Now for the 54th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention, November 28-30 in Washington, D.C.
"Innovation and Change in Electromagnetic Warfare"

Don't Delay! Register and secure your housing by THIS FRIDAY November 3 to take advantage of discounted hotel rates.
Hotel and Travel Information

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:

JOIN US for a book signing with Fred Kaplan at the AOC Symposium and Convention

Fred Kaplan, New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist of Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, will be the keynote speaker at the AOC Awards Banquet on Wednesday, November 29, as part of the 54th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention.  He will join us as the sponsored guest of Raytheon.  

Cyber vulnerabilities threaten the very fabric of our social, economic, and political life and security.  Dark Territory traces how the vulnerability of computer networks has been known, discussed, and integrated into military-intelligence operations since the dawn of the Internet itself.

Please join us prior to the banquet, starting at 4:00 PM in the Exhibit Hall, Mr. Kaplan will be at the Raytheon Booth (#201) for a book signing. 

You can purchase copies of Dark Territory and his other award-winning book, The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War at the AOC Store adjacent to AOC Central at the convention. 

Limited copies will also be available for online purchase on the AOC website at www.crows.org.


Register Now
Symposium Details
Volunteer Opportunities Available!

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AOC CAPITOL HILL UPDATE: Is the FY 18 Defense Budget Wrapping Up?

Despite few defense budget legislative initiatives complete, Congress is slowly making progress on several fronts and there are positive signs that this may be a smoother budget cycle than in previous years.  

Setting the Stage
To date, the House has completed all its major defense-related legislation for FY 18.  The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is in Conference Committee with the Senate and the Defense Appropriations Act, along with all other FY 18 spending bills, has passed the House and awaits Senate consideration.  In July, the House passed H.R. 3219, a "mini-bus" appropriations bill that included FY 18 defense spending, which was combined with H.R. 3354 to create a 12-bill omnibus appropriations measure.

Read the Full Update

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DON'T MISS TOMORROW'S WEBINAR: Innovations in Machine Learning and their benefit to Electronic Warfare, November 2
Thursday, November 2 | 14:00-15:00 EST

In recent years, there has been a huge acceleration in Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. This has taken it from a concept little-appreciated outside of engineering and science circles, to something that we hear about on a daily basis. From driverless cars to intelligent home assistants, these technologies are anticipated to dramatically impact the way we live our lives. But how can we apply machine learning to the field of Electronic Warfare and what benefits will this bring?

This webinar will explore two key problems for operatives analyzing the RF spectrum: signal classification and detection of anomalous signals. Recent innovations mean that machine learning can be used to solve these problems more effectively and efficiently, freeing up operatives for more critical tasks.

Register Now

Gold Sponsors

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CONGRATULATIONS: AOC 2017 Election Results
Thank you to everyone that voted!!

Total number of eligible voters - 11,430
Total members voted - 1186
Percentage of Voters - 10.38%

President Elect (2 candidates)
Muddy Watters – 59.9%

At-Large Director – 9 Candidates - Only two could be selected (Percentage is based on 200%)
Amanda Kammier – 40.46%
Dr. David Stupples –  23.6 %
3rd Place – 19.6 %  
4th Place -  18.6 %
5th Place -  18.5%

Mountain-Western Region (3 candidates)
Sam Roberts – 44.6 %
2nd Place – 29.8 %
3rd Place – 25.6 %

Northeastern Region (2 candidates)
Glen Carlson – 54.2%

Southern Region (3 candidates)
Karen Brigance – 63.5 %
2nd Place – 20.4 %
3rd Place – 16.1 %

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EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS NOV. 24: EW Singapore 2018, January 30-31
We live in a time of increasing uncertainty on many fronts.  Threats, challenges and opportunities are rising. Technology is accelerating. The world is undoubtedly changing and in unforeseen ways.  In terms of future warfare, national forces are being re-shaped and re-equipped to face an operational manoeuvre space that will be complex and connected, but constrained.  It may well be chaotic unless the right, informed choices are made now. The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most vital areas in the world and the focus of much change, but also of uncertainty. In terms of EW and electromagnetic operations, how can we make sense of these things? AOC EW Singapore will consider the future of EW and EM Operations in the changing light of current and emerging threats, including Hybrid Warfare and Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) where potential opponents are out-performing the West. 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 development, by all services, in all countries in the free world. The Conference will consist of plenary sessions focusing on operations, defence capability development, and industry inventiveness including innovation and breakthrough technologies.

Early Registration Discounts end Nov. 24. Register Today!

Call for Papers
The AOC call for papers is open for English language papers for the second AOC Singapore conference from international leaders, subject matter experts and leading thinkers from the government, military, academia and industry. Potential Speakers are invited to note the conference sessions topics and specific areas of interest:

• Keynote addresses.
• Operational updates and support activities.
• National perspectives.
• The impact of potential adversarial Hybrid Warfare and Anti Access/ Area Denial capabilities, and how to prevent or minimise these threats.
• Defensive and offensive capabilities
• Technological and engineering developments including autonomous or semi-autonomous weapons; swarm technology, cognitive systems including EW; additive manufacturing; directed energy and laser weapons, and countermeasures.
• Critical EM lines of development such as training, test and evaluation, modelling and simulation, concepts, EW operational support (including parametric database evolution), etc.
• EW and EM operations, SIGINT, ISR, spectrum management, and network enabled capability.
• The information domain/environment, information operations, cyber warfare, Cyber EM activities (CEMA)/operations, social media, etc, and how these are likely to develop and influence free-world room to understand, operate and manoeuvre.
• Briefs on major national programmes and capability development in the maritime, air/space, information/ cyber and land domains, such as the F35 program.
• Mining Big Data, Information Operations and EW – the implications and opportunities.
• The Global role of academia in supporting the future of national capability in the EM and Information domains

If you are submitting a paper please provide a succinct title of the proposed paper, a brief synopsis (bullet form is acceptable) and information on the speaker.  Company or product briefs will not be accepted. Submission of a proposed paper does not guarantee acceptance.

Call for Papers
Conference Details

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EW conference for November. The Electronic Warfare South Africa 2017 International Conference and Exhibition is due to delve deeply into the art and science of electronic warfare next month, with a varied lineup of speakers examining everything from the effectiveness of chaff to artificial intelligence in electronic warfare. The EW SA 2017 conference will feature 28 presentations from military, the government, academia, industry and research and development institutions; 13 exhibitions from industry; nine academic presentations by masters' students, four international speakers, three pre-conference workshops, and a flight simulator. (Defence Web)
Learn More...

 

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The Fifth International Conference on Electronic Warfare is the latest event in the internationally acclaimed EWCI Conference Series in India, in the field of Electronic Warfare and related areas. The Conference is being organized by the much Awarded India Chapter of Association of Old Crows (AOC), Bangalore. The Conference has the active support of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Government of India, Ministry of Defence and the Defence Public Sector Unit (DPSU), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bangalore. The Conference is envisaged to be of great use for Modern Armed Forces, Military Planners, Developers, Procurers, Testers, Trainers and Vendors of the latest EW Technologies and Systems. Past Conferences in the Series attracted large delegations from Indian Armed Services, DRDO, Defence PSUs, National and International EW Professionals. A large scale Indoor Exhibition will accompany the Conference, displaying the latest EW Products from International EW Organizations. There will be an intense one-day Pre-Conference Tutorials preceding the Conference. The Conference is visualized to be an important platform for EW Professionals who would share the Research and Development output in the field of EW at the global level. Hence the theme of the Conference is chosen as "EW: SHARE FOR SUCCESS."
Learn More...

 

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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 Marine Corps is being shaped for the transition from a slow motion ground war to higher intensity warfare. This reshaping is being driven by the new aviation assets, the introduction of broad range digital interoperability within the MAGTF and by evolving concepts of operations associated with distributed warfare. At the heart of the transition is an ability to leverage all of the key combat assets, ground, sea or in the air and to deliver a force able to operate in the distributed battlespace. Last August, Lt. General (Retired) Davis, former Deputy Commandant of Aviation, highlighted the nature of the transition as applied to the electronic warfare case. (Second Line of Defense)
Learn More...

 

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As the Pentagon finishes its strategic review, the stage is set for another struggle over whether to ready for a high-end war with Russia or China or just manage the current, much lower intensity battles around the world. In military terms it’s a choice between capability and capacity. The outcome will shape the four services modernization portfolios, the size of America’s military, and how ready our forces are to fight. (Breaking Defense)
Learn More...

 

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NATO allies have raised concerns about what they call Russia's use of a kind of electronic warfare during military exercises last month that jammed some phone networks, alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday. "At least two allies have reported about that," Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing talks in Brussels between ambassadors from NATO and Russia. He said it highlights the need for Russia to be more transparent with war games "to make sure there are no miscalculations, misunderstandings, because these kinds of activities can have serious effects." (US News and World Report)
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Virtually all defense and security applications of GPS/GNSS require additional technology to protect assets and missions against signal interference, whether jamming or spoofing. The upcoming free webinar, Resilient PNT for Military Applications, gives a primer on several of these technology options. Mitigation in this context means that after isolating the unwanted signal, quickly rejecting and replacing it, causing minimal system degradation. In essence, this involves the use of augmentation technologies and diversification strategies to supplement GPS/GNSS, thus reducing the dependence on it. (GPS World)
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Carl Vinson air operations officer Cmdr. Joshua Hammond said carrier qualifications are important because they allow Carl Vinson to practice launching and recovering aircraft while helping qualify new pilots, according to a Navy statement from aboard the Carl Vinson. "Being at sea for FRS (fleet replacement squadron) CQ gives us practice at what we do on deployment: launching and recovering aircraft," Hammond. "We can't always be underway with Carrier Air Wing, so these operations help us stay sharp and hone our craft while helping new pilots gain proficiency." (Scout Warrior)
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Army leaders came to the service’s biggest conference of the year in Washington, D.C., with one central message: "We’re going to fix our broken acquisition system." The first step on the road to recovery is admitting there is a problem. It’s not that the Army doesn’t realize it takes too long to field new technologies, but this is the first time it has delivered such a unified message with senior leaders, program managers and their civilian counterparts all publicly announcing initiatives that are supposed to put the Army’s acquisition enterprise in order. (National Defense)
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Dawn Blitz, an exercise designed to train and integrate Navy and Marine Corps units in planning for and establishing expeditionary advanced bases, executing an amphibious assault, engaging in live-fire events and integrating fifth-generation aviation capabilities in a land and maritime threat environment to test new integration and concepts of operation concluded here yesterday. This year's exercise culminated a year's worth of effort by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and Expeditionary Strike Group 3 staffs. (US Department of Defense)
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The freedom of action that characterized drone operations in the past decades is diminishing quickly, with the introduction of advanced electronic warfare techniques, communications jamming, and counter-UAV capabilities. The air forces that pioneered the use of UAVs in the 1990s and early 2000s have already experienced adversary exploitation of unprotected datalinks, which lead to failure of combat missions and loss of lives. (Defense Update)
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