Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensor Engineering
Dr. Phillip PAce | 10/5/2020 – 10/28/2020 | Web Course
This course presents the fundamentals of electro-optical (EO) & infrared (IR) sensor technology, its analysis and its application to military search, track and imaging systems. Electronic warfare (electronic attack and electronic protection) are emphasized.

Is your team able to maximize their time while working remotely? Perhaps some professional development can help your team advance their skills right now! The AOC recognizes that there is increased demand for virtual learning during these days of quarantine and social distancing. We want to provide the opportunity for your team to expand their professional knowledge while working remotely - which is why we're offering the following discount structure for teams that would like to purchase AOC web courses in bulk:

Bulk Course Discounts for Teams:

- 2 – 9 attendees: 7% off course price ($84 - $150 savings per attendee depending on course selection)
- 10 – 19 attendees: 12.5% off course price ($150 - $269 savings per attendee depending on course selection)
- 20+ attendees: 19% off course price ($228 - $408 savings per attendee depending on course selection)

Contact Caleb Herr at herr@crows.org to take advantage of these discounts for your team.

On-Demand Web Course Library

Upcoming Live Web Course Schedule

Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensor Engineering
Dr. Phillip E. Pace | 10/5/2020 – 10/28/2020 | Web Course
This course presents the fundamentals of electro-optical (EO) & infrared (IR) sensor technology, its analysis and its application to military search, track and imaging systems. Electronic warfare (electronic attack and electronic protection) are emphasized. 

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Help shape the future of the AOC by choosing the next AOC Headquarters Board of Directors. Learn about the open positions and each candidate’s biography now to be an informed voter. Elections open October 1, 2020.

October 8,14:00 - 15:00 EDT (18:00 - 19:00 UTC)

SEI is the process of uniquely identifying an individual transmitter from the signal received by a receiver system. Unlike digital identification, where identification signals can be perfectly reproduced, SEI uses the analogue signal characteristics of the signal to generate a unique fingerprint which can be associated with each transmitter, with the result that SEI is sometimes also referred to as radio-frequency fingerprinting (RFF). These analogue variations arise as a result of component tolerances which affect transmissions, but whose effects are small enough not to affect system operation.

This webinar will introduce SEI by considering the development of a simple SEI system. Recorded signals will be shown to illustrate how measurable differences which do not affect system operation can arise. The effect of factors such as SNR will also be demonstrated as examples of some of the challenges SEI systems face. Lastly, the use of different classifiers will be considered to show the performance achievable from an SEI system.

The AOC Board of Director’s Executive Committee has chosen to cancel the 57^th Annual AOC International Symposium & Convention scheduled for December 8-10, 2020, in Washington DC.  This decision was made after careful consideration of COVID-19 public health guidelines, multiple discussions with key stakeholders, and a thorough analysis of alternative solutions.  There was an overwhelming consensus that a virtual iteration of our in-person event would fall short of our community’s standard for business engagement and networking. 

While the COVID-19 global pandemic has upended aspects of daily life around the globe, the AOC continues to support our members, exhibitors, and sponsors. During the past few months, the AOC has assessed our usual operations and opportunities to adapt and evolve into new business areas. The AOC Board, Staff, and Chapters remain focused on advancing our mission and delivering value in all aspects of our community in new and innovative ways.  These will be launched in the coming weeks as new initiatives aimed at Advancing Electromagnetic Warfare TOGETHER. 

In the meantime, the AOC continues to provide a myriad of solutions supporting our geographically distributed community: 

- The Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED) continues to provide analysis and insight into the latest trends in Electromagnetic Warfare (EW)

- The AOC Virtual Series Webinars are faithfully providing bite-sized educational sessions on technical topics relevant to EW

- AOC Professional Development Courses continue to bring world-class EW education to remote audiences around the globe

- AOC Virtual Summits are bringing senior military & government policymakers together with industry eager to support the needs of the warfighter

- …and many more!

Thank you for your continued involvement and support that is so critical to advancing our mission.  We look forward to gathering again for the 58th Annual AOC International Symposium & Convention, November 30 - December 2, 2021, in Washington DC.

(Note: The following AOC Advocacy Issue Brief was prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton, a Premier Industry Solutions Partner for the AOC CEMAlite Virtual Summit.)

The world in which the U.S. can assume ownership of the best technology, knowing its high-tech approach to war confers a unique advantage, has ended. Competing nations now also have access to critical information and cutting-edge technology, often at low cost, and are mov-ing fast to mature and connect digital assets. The U.S. must move faster—using new ways to integrate technologies and, in doing so, ensure that they are secure, open, agile, and smart.

October 22, 14:00 - 15:00 EDT (18:00 - 19:00 UTC)

This webinar will initiate with a discussion about radar signals and their parameters and their measurement. Then it will briefly present the basic architecture of the digital processing unit before introducing the main pulse segregation processes. Next, it will show how PRI and antenna scan parameters can be inferred. Finally, it will provide some considerations about using fuzzy modelling to model the uncertainties of the deinterleaving process.

As a result of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Electronic Warfare (EW) Europe, organised by Clarion Events on behalf of the Association of Old Crows (AOC), scheduled for 16-18 November, will no longer take place in 2020.

The ongoing requirement for a two-week quarantine period following international travel, and potential changes to the UK government’s position on re-opening conferences and exhibitions has led Clarion and the AOC to postpone EW Europe until 25-27 May, 2021. The next edition will be held in Seville, Spain, co-located with Clarion Events’ military training and simulation event, IT²EC.

Shelley Frost, Executive Director of the AOC, said: “With current travel and quarantine restrictions across the globe which will restrict certain countries from participation, it has been decided that we would be unable to hold EW Europe 2020 in a meaningful way. We believe the best thing for the event and its attendees is to reconvene in Seville for a world-class EW Europe 2021.”

Tracy Bebbington, Event Director, Clarion Events Defence and Security, added: “We are terribly disappointed to have to postpone EW Europe, but the health and safety of our attendees, speakers, and partners must take priority. We are already working with the AOC to ensure that the 2021 edition will bring the EW community together for an event that is worth waiting for.”

Clarion and the AOC are looking at digital opportunities which will enable the EW community to convene virtually to discuss developments in the EW, Electromagnetic Manoeuvre, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities and Information Operations sector.

Clarion Events is one of the largest exhibition organisers in the world and holds the safety of all event attendees as its highest priority. As such the company is looking ahead to how physical distancing measures can be incorporated into the planning of all our events in the future and is contributing to broader government and event industry initiatives to support this.

Soldiers with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment from Minnesota, conducted Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems training Aug. 17-20. (US Army)

The U.S. Army is seeing improvements in anti-jam capabilities in new radios crucial to securing manned-unmanned communications at its annual Network Modernization Experiment. (C4ISRNET)

Work is continuing on the Next Generation Jammer-Low Band pod, or NGJ-LB, for the U.S. Navy. This is just one part of the larger Next Generation Jammer effort that will provide the service's EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft with new, advanced capabilities, which you can read about more in this previous War Zone piece. (The Drive)

The Association of Old Crows is pleased to provide its online Career Center - the premier resource to connect career opportunities with highly qualified EW, EMSO, CEMA, SIGINT, ELINT, & IO talent. You can access the AOC Career Center at https://careers.crows.org.

NEW Internship Opportunities!

- Internship Seekers: Search available internships to gain the experience you desire

- FREE Internship Postings: The AOC is committed to supporting the growth of the EW talent pool by offering FREE Internship Postings for AOC Industry Members

Featured Jobs:

- Software Test and Verification Engineering – Boeing –  Tukwila, WA, United States
- Experienced Systems Software Engineer (Phantom Works) – Boeing – Tukwila, WA, United States
- Lead Guidance Navigation and Control Engineer – Boeing – Kent, WA, United States

The theme for the 2020 IO/EW Symposium, “All Domain Operations from Competition into Conflict,” will focus on how IO and EW contribute to all-domain warfighting challenges, as well as their contributions to achieving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific during competition. This year’s theme builds on the work of the 6th Annual Symposium in 2017, which focused on the Army’s Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) Concept. The Army’s now well-established MDO Concept focuses on optimizing the land force contribution to a Joint fight in multiple domains, and provides a strong foundation for the development of a Joint All-Domain Operations Concept, both of which are intended to be employed across the spectrum of operations from competition to conflict. The 2020 theme also benefits from the presentations and work accomplished at the 7th Annual Symposium in 2018, focused on the roles of IO and EW in overcoming A2/AD challenges, which are a driver for the development of an All-Domain Operations (ADO) concept.

NOW DELIVERED ONLINE AND VTC OCTOBER 19-23

This event will be delivered online and via secure video teleconference in response to the current restrictions on travel to Hawaii following the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The symposium will now start on Monday, October 19 with three days of UNCLASSIFIED presentations, panels, and speakers delivered via the Federal Business Council (FBC) Online Events platform. Classified presentations follow on October 22 and 23 and will be delivered via DOD secure Video-Teleconference. Detailed instructions for DOD and invited Ally and partner militaries for SECRET REL discussions will be published via official message from HQ U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Director of Operations, J3.

Individual registration is required to participate in any of the online presentations of the Symposium. Registered participants can then choose the plenary sessions and separate presentations they wish to attend. Registered symposium participants will need to register for each of the three plenary sessions, and for individual presentations and panels conducted outside of the plenary sessions that will run from 1100-1400 Hawaii Standard Time. For the classified sessions, participating military commands, DOD PME institutions, academia, Industry, and Allies and partners will coordinate with the symposium chair for instructions on how to be connected to the Towers Conference Room for October 22 and 23 over DOD networks.

Please contact the Symposium Chair, Dr. Arthur Tulak, COL USA, Ret, at arthur.n.tulak.ctr@pacom.mil for more information.

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Sydney Wells faithfully serves as the lead simulator subject-matter-expert for the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Integrated Support Facility at Robins AFB. In this role, Sid oversees 150,000 square feet of lab space and over $450M worth of equipment as he supports test & evaluation for more than 30 EW systems. This includes nine CEESIMs, three A2PATS, four advanced emulators, and a novel programmable, expandable threat simulator. His efforts enable 24/7 T&E operations, thereby increasing survivability and lethality of our warfighters in contested environments.

Sid has also recently stepped into the role of lead engineer for the lab, incorporating new advanced threat emulators and guiding strategic efforts. Sid is leading the technical effort to provide a production contract to allow DoD-wide access to the highly demanded advance threat emulators.

Bobby Gerald McDonald was born in Doerun, Georgia on August 1, 1936. He began his career in electronic warfare at the age of 18, when he served as a Naval Aircrew aboard P2V “Neptune” anti-submarine and patrol aircraft. As an in-flight avionics technician, he operated and repaired early generation electronic warfare avionics systems. Later, Bobby was also part of the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team when they flew F9F Panthers.

After his naval service, Bobby attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. After graduation, he worked engineering roles in several fields. He helped design early memory systems at IBM, worked on avionics design at Lockheed Martin and worked for NASA on telemetry systems installed on the Saturn V rocket.

After weeks of work in the oppressive Arizona desert heat, the U.S. Army carried out a series of live fire engagements Sept. 23 at Yuma Proving Ground to show how artificial intelligence systems can work together to automatically detect threats, deliver targeting data and recommend weapons responses at blazing speeds. (C4ISRNET)

The new fiscal year brings a more solidified U.S. Space Force. Beginning October 1, the service will stand up its three field commands: the Space Systems Command, the Space Operations Command and a Space Training and Readiness Command, reports Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, USSF, deputy chief, Space Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear, U.S. Space Force. (Signal Magazine)

Earlier this month, the USS Carl Vinson broke new ground by becoming the first refitted aircraft carrier to fly F-35s as part of its normal flight operations. If current plans hold, it is likely to become the first to fly the Navy’s experimental refueling drone in a. few years as well. (Breaking Defense)