eCrow

NEW AOC VIRTUAL SERIES WEBINARS: Cryptology
An Introduction to Conventional Cryptology
Thursday, March 2, 14:00-15:00 EST | 19:00-20:00 UTC
We start with a short introduction that presents some of the basic tasks and principles of cryptography and of cryptanalysis. For this, we introduce confidentality, identification/authenticity, integrity and non-refutability in communication processes and information systems. We discuss how a cryptosystem can be formalized and how we can investigate its security. The most important principles like one-way functions, keys, Kerkhoffs principle, information vs. computational security, attack models and the role of brute-force attacks are discussed. By giving important examples we then continue with a (short) overview of today’s essential symmetric (AES/Rijndael) and asymmetric cryptography methods (Diffie-Hellman, RSA, ECC).

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Cryptology in the "Quantum Era"
Thursday, March 16, 14:00-15:00 EST | 18:00-19:00 UTC
In the second talk we explain the principles of quantum computers (qubit, superposition,...) and why it is believed that they are a huge game changer in computational science in general and in cryptography in particular (Shor’s algorithm, quantum FFT, super-polynomial speed-up). We also mention that at the other side of the game, "quantum cryptography" (quantum key distribution (QKD)) may potentially help for unprecedented security. Finally, the presentation concludes with a summary and a short outlook on post-quantum cryptography candidates (McEliece, lattice-based, code-based, etc.).

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SPREAD THE WORD: 2017 AOC Scholarships Available
Thanks to the generosity of the Raytheon Corporation, the National AOC Education Foundation received some generous resources in the past year. Two college students (junior or senior) shall receive a $12,500 scholarship each. There are several criteria these students must meet to be eligible for a scholarship. Please consult the following link for an application, which contains the eligibility criteria: http://www.crows.org/aef/scholarship-a-grants.html.

We need to get the word out about these two scholarships. Please spread the word at chapter meetings, chapter social gatherings, or chapter emails. As a member of AOC, you yourself can hand out copies of the application, email it to your colleagues, or encourage fellow members to do the same. If your chapter has an association with local colleges through a current scholarship program, please work with your scholarship committee to see that the proper representative at those schools is contacted, and provided with an electronic copy of the application.

Something to keep in mind is these students should be majoring in a technical field. Ultimately, AOC wishes to see more people serving in government/industry supporting National Defense, so we need these professionals to possess strong degrees in engineering and science. Specific categories include: in Electronic Warfare (EW), Information Operations (IO), Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA). When passing along the particulars of this great opportunity, please be sure to emphasize this eligibility requirement

All applications are due by March 31, 2017, and are to be sent directly from the applying student to scholarship@crows.org.

Please act quickly to get the word out to as many people as you can. AOC is counting on you to help find the right students to meet its future goals in sustaining electronic warfare.

SUPPORT THE AOC: 2017 Sponsorships

How do you reach more customers in the Electromagnetic Warfare community? The AOC! To maximize your impact in 2017, begin securing your sponsorship positions today. When you strategically plan out your year with the AOC, you can realize significant savings.

Check out our updated sponsorship catalog below.

Sponsorship Catalog

Current Event Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities:

NOMINATIONS DUE MARCH 1 for 2017 AOC International Elections

The AOC is accepting nominations for the 2017 elections to the Board of Directors and for president-elect of the Association. You all are in a great position to help shape and decide the future of the Association of Old Crows! Nominations will be accepted now through March 1st, 2017. Elections begin on September 1st, 2017, and will end on September 30th, 2017.

In addition to selecting our next president (vice president in 2018 followed by their two-year presidential term), this year's elections include two at large director positions, each for a three-year term. Also, three regional directors will be elected for their three (3)-year terms as well — one each from the Mountain-Western Region, the Northeastern Region and the Southern Region. These five new directors and the president-elect will be installed at the 2017 Symposium & Convention in Washington DC.

Click HERE to access the Nomination Form. Nomination information must be received at AOC HQ by close-of-business March 1st. Nomination forms are available at crows.org, or by contacting Glorianne O'Neilin.

Please direct all questions to the N&E committee:

Dave Hime – davehat1407@gmail.com
Glorianne O'Neilin – oneilin@crows.org

Forms can be submitted:
Via fax: (703) 549-2589
Via email: oneilin@crows.org

NEW FOR JUNE: Register Now for EW 104 Live Online Webcourse

Communications EW
May 22-June 9
Online Webcourse
Instructor: Dave Adamy
Details

Electronic Countermeasures — Theory and Design
May 1-May 17
Online Webcourse
Instructor: Kyle Davidson
Details

NEW: Electronic Warfare in the New Threat Environment (EW 104)
June 12-28
Online Webcourse
Instructor: Dave Adamy
Details

The Association of Old Crows is excited to increase the convenience of your learning opportunities through our on-demand professional development library! The AOC is making some of our most popular courses available anytime and anywhere you're connected to the internet! On-demand course offerings currently include Dave Adamy's Fundamentals and Advanced Principles of EW, Kyle Davidson's ELINT - Principles and Practice and Warren du Plessis’ Introduction to RF & Microwave Front Ends.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS: 9th Annual EW Capability Gaps and Enabling Technologies Operational & Technical Information Exchange, May 9-11, 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.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
EW warfighting requirements continue to evolve in their complexity and capability to meet Air, Ground, Surface, Space, and Cyberspace requirements. The 9th 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.

This call for papers challenges presenters to explore innovative and leap-ahead enabling technologies and methodologies to meet currently identified EW Capability Gaps. Presentations or demonstrations from all United States Services, DoD, Industry and Academia are requested to identify technical paths, options and potential opportunities for filling current and future EW Capability Gaps. Submitted abstracts are specifically requested to address one or more of the symposium sessions. Amplifying information on the three sessions is referenced below.

Abstracts for presentations are required in unclassified textual format. Please forward abstracts to Ms. Shelley Frost at frost@crows.org. The submission deadline is 10 March 2017.

More Information

DRAFT AGENDA RELEASED: 46th Annual Collaborative EW Symposium, April 25-27, Pt. Mugu, CA
"Collaborative Electronic Warfare: Enabling Collaborative EW Through Innovation and Invention"

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 46th 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.

View the Conference Page for the Draft Agenda

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Rear Admiral Christian "Boris" Becker
Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence and Program Executive Officer for Space Systems

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REGISTER NOW: AOC EW Europe - Advancing EW and Electromagnetic Operations Together, June 6-8

AOC EW Europe will be held in perhaps the world’s most iconic city – London. It 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 and 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 include plenary sessions and twin-tracks focusing respectively on operations, capability and defence lines of development, and industry developments and inventiveness. AOC EW Europe 2017 will bring together the communities involved in EW, SIGINT, C4ISR, Cyber EM Activities (CEMA) and more. Speakers will include leaders and operators from the military, government, academia, S&T and R&D communities and crucially, industry. This is an unclassified truly-global EW networking, exhibition, workshop and conference and not to be missed.

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PLAN NOW TO ATTEND: International & Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Electronic Warfare Symposium and Workshop, May 15-19 in Atlanta
U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) of sensitive military technologies, like Electronic Warfare, can be difficult to understand and navigate for International Partners and U.S. Defense Industry. U.S. Export laws, such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), requirements for Export Licenses, and in some cases Congressional approval, can be confusing and complicate the sale of EW systems and associated technical support. This conference provides an educational opportunity and forum for U.S. Government, U.S. Defense Industry, Academia. and International partners to share information and provide updates on FMS and DCS program policy, processes and improvements.

Symposium Page

INDUSTRY NEWS: 'If You Can't Talk, You Can't Fight': Compass Call Planes Confuse ISIS

he Vietnam War-era airplane sitting on the flightline at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s home base here may not look like much, but it is packed to the gills with electronics dedicated to sowing chaos in the ranks of the Islamic State terror group. The EC-130H Compass Call is the Air Force’s main electronic attack weapon, said Lt. Col. Josh Koslov, commander of the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, in a Jan. 10 interview. The modified C-130 Hercules uses its broad array of systems to jam enemy communications and radar, leaving ISIS leaders and fighters blind and deaf, and with no idea what one another are doing. (Air Force Times)
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INDUSTRY NEWS: How Mattis' Plan For Fixing The U.S. Military Would Transform The Army

Secretary of Defense James Mattis has issued his initial campaign plan for rebuilding America's military, pursuant to a presidential directive signed January 27. If Congress provides necessary funding, the Mattis plan would reverse a steady erosion of the joint force's warfighting edge that resulted from caps on military spending during the Obama years. In fact, the plan may usher in a surge of spending on new military technology unlike anything seen since the Reagan years. (Forbes)
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INDUSTRY NEWS: With Trump, Congress Can Kill Sequester: Thornberry

Can Congress finally break the logjam of the Budget Control Act and increase spending on defense? Yes we can, said the cautiously optimistic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Why are the chances any better this year than for all the failures since 2011? Because, Rep. Mac Thornberry told reporters this morning, Donald Trump is shaking up the status quo in a way that opens up new possibilities. "I think we have a tremendous opportunity to do the right thing," said Thornberry. "There’s more of the federal budget being looked at, in play if you will, than has been the case for many years." (Breaking Defense)
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INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Pursues Drone "Ghost Fleet" Concept

The Navy is working to develop quickly a "ghost fleet" concept where multiple surface, air and undersea drones operate in a synchronized fashion to conduct a wide-range of combat missions without placing sailors and marines at risk. "We want to have multiple systems teaming and working together, surface, air and undersea," said Capt. Jon Rucker, program manager, Unmanned Maritime Systems, PEO LCS. (Defense Systems)
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INDUSTRY NEWS: Benefield Anechoic Facility hosts B-52 for HERO testing

A B-52 Stratofortress from the 96th Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is undergoing Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance testing in the Benefield Anechoic Facility. The test was requested by the B-52 Program Office at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to comply with a recent mandate from the Air Force Safety Office, according to members of the 772nd Test Squadron who oversee BAF operations. The mandate states all Air Force weapons platforms will conduct Electromagnetic Environmental Effects evaluations. This test with the B-52 concentrated on the HERO element. (Edwards AFB)
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INDUSTRY NEWS: Raytheon Research Engineer Leads as a Citizen-Airman

Austin T. Haygood is a citizen soldier. He is a senior systems engineer at Raytheon Missile Systems and a major in the Arizona National Guard. Maj. Haygood is one of only a few experts in Air Warfare modeling among 5,500 engineers at Raytheon Missile Systems. In addition, he mentors several young engineers, providing career guidance and technical coaching to develop stronger skills in modeling, simulation, and data analysis. He holds a number of awards from the U. S. Air Force for his military service and is active in the Air National Guard. (Black Engineer)
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