eCrow Newsletter

INDUSTRY NEWS: Army Wants Smarter Computer AI for Electronic Warfare

August 17, 2017 --
Facing an electromagnetic jungle of electronic warfare threats, the Army wants smarter computers for EW and jam-proof navigation. The Army has put out a request for information for machine learning technology -- computers capable of learning on their own how to track electronic warfare threats and manage responses. The problem is that soldiers are overloaded with trying to keep track of threats. "Compounding the issue is the source and location information of, potentially, infinite number of electronic signals through various sensing means, coordinating defensive and offensive operations to defend against electronic attack, and blunt the electronic means of the threat," said the RFI. (Defense Systems)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Mobility Air Forces, Combat Air Forces Operate Together During Mobility Guardian

August 17, 2017 --
Exercise Mobility Guardian highlighted the close relationship between Mobility and Combat Air Forces, who teamed up to execute approximately 90 sorties together, July 31 to Aug. 12, 2017. The exercise provided the MAF and CAF opportunities to integrate combat capabilities in a dynamic, highly contested environment to help ensure future mission success at both the tactical and strategic level. "Everything that Air Combat Command does, we do on the back of mobility forces," said Gen. Mike Holmes, the ACC commander. "We’re a global Air Force, and we’re a global Air Force because we can pick up and move wherever we need to and know that we can be there quickly with everything we need to operate. Without (Air Mobility Command), we’d be a regional Air Force." (Air Force Link)

INDUSTRY NEWS: HAVOC Works the Electronic Warfare Payload in the Digital Battlespace

August 17, 2017 --
N10: The US Navy’s Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School, call sign "HAVOC", stood up in 2011 to execute the NAWDC mission as it pertains to Electronic Warfare and the EA-18G Growler. HAVOC is comprised of highly qualified Growler Tactics Instructors, or GTIs, that form the "tactical engine" of the EA-18G community, developing the tactics that get the most out of EA-18G sensors and weapons. HAVOC’s mission is also to train Growler Aircrew and Intelligence Officers on those tactics during the Growler Tactics Instructor Course. The Growler Tactics Instructor Course is a rigorous 12 week syllabus of academic, simulator, and live fly events that earn graduates the Growler Tactics Instructor designation – the highest level of EA-18G tactical qualification that is recognized across Naval Aviation. (SLD Info)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Iranian Navy to Start Electronic Warfare Drills Within Days

August 17, 2017 --
Tehran is planning to start military drills with a focus on electronic warfare in the next few days, local media reported on Tuesday, citing Iranian Navy Commander Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari. Sayyari said while visiting the Iranian North Fleet in the city of Bandar Anzali that specialized drills engaging electronic warfare systems will be held in the southeastern Makran region in coming days, the Tasnim news agency reported. The Navy Commander stressed that Iran's naval forces were expected to stage 25 specialized war games by March 2018. (Sputnik News, Russian State Sponsored Media)

INDUSTRY NEWS: How the Army is Driving the Cyber-EW Merger

August 17, 2017 --
The Army is beginning to implement recommendations from a cyber and electronic warfare doctrine released in April. Maj. Gen. John B. Morrison Jr., commander of the Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon said that the doctrine is the first of its kind to include standards and guidelines for electronic warfare and is now being integrated into the center's training for officers as well as enlisted soldiers. (FCW)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Air Force Accelerates New JSTARS Surveillance Plane

August 17, 2017 --
Flying thousands of feet in the sky and zooming sensors in on enemy movement below, the Air Force manned Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System has been using advanced technology to gather and share combat-relevant information, circle above military operations and share key Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance data with service command and control. Since its combat missions during the Gulf War in the early 1990s, JSTARS has been an indispensable asset to combat operations, as it covers a wide swath of terrain across geographically diverse areas to scan for actionable intelligence and pertinent enemy activity. (Scout Warrior)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Dr. William Conley on the Future of Electronic Warfare

August 17, 2017 --
Electronic warfare is a pressing issue that the Pentagon has identified as part of the "third offset"–which is a collection of battlefield tech that the U.S. military has to master in order to get a leg-up on its competition, our adversaries, or their enemies. According to the July 2015 report, 21st Century Operations in a Complex Electromagnetic Environment the United States military is "no longer the overwhelming leader in these technologies." Whether this is for certain, Dr. William Conley, Deputy Director of Electronic Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L) of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), will speak at the Potomac Officer’s Club Electronic Warfare Forum on the morning of Sept. 12. (Executive Biz)

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND: The Fifth EW International Conference India (EWCI 2018): EWCI 2018

August 10, 2017 --
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 organised 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 Organisations. There will be an intense one-day Pre-Conference Tutorials preceding the Conference. The Conference is visualised 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."

INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Essay: How the F-35C Will Change Naval Aviation

August 10, 2017 --
As the first director for the Navy’s F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Fleet Integration Office, I have enjoyed the opportunities and challenges of bringing fifth-generation strike-fighter capabilities to the fleet. As this highly advanced weapons system matures, I am convinced the F-35C will be a cornerstone platform that plays a crucial role in mission success for Carrier Air Wings (CVW), Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and numbered fleets. The F-35C will be a game-changer for the Navy. The F-35C Lightning II will introduce next generation strike-fighter aircraft capabilities to the Navy CVW , enabling the CSG and numbered fleets to effectively engage and survive a wide range of rapidly evolving threats, both air and surface, in contested airspace. (Scout Warrior)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Army Field Manual Provides Cyber, Electronic Warfare Template

August 10, 2017 --
As the Army both advances its posture within cyberspace and other nonkinetic domains of warfare and pushes ahead with emerging multi-domain concepts, one of the more critical elements is developing doctrine to inform commanders how they can leverage the capabilities resident in these spheres. The Army published an update to its field doctrine in April in the way of cyber and electromagnetic activities known as "Field Manual 3-12," the first such manual. (Army Times)

INDUSTRY NEWS: ‘Rolling The Marble:’ BG Saltzman On Air Force’s Multi-Domain C2 System

August 10, 2017 --
In his first interview, the man overseeing the Air Force’s attempt to build the first truly global command and control system says it will demand major changes to the US military. Multi-Domain Command & Control will demand changes to how America commands its troops around the world, to acquisition, to Air Force culture and its personnel system, and to the state of the art in military software. (Breaking Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: First Electronic Warfare Prototypes from Army’s Rapid Capabilities Office Put to Test

August 10, 2017 --
Echoing through a remote part of one of the Army’s largest U.S. training sites in the desert of the American southwest is a Top 40 song coming from an infantryman’s cracked tablet glinting in the hot sun. The soldier has a variety of frequencies listed on the screen that his electronic warfare system has picked up. In this case, he’s found an FM radio station to demonstrate his ability to find, track and pinpoint signals, as well as decipher whether those signals are coming from friendlies, from the surrounding civilian population or from enemy forces. (Defense News)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Sea Traders Are Revisiting WWII-era Navigation Tools Amid Fears About Cyber Attacks

August 10, 2017 --
The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming by hackers. (Fortune)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Proves High Readiness Levels During Carrier’s Sustainment Phase Leads to Maintenance Savings Later

August 10, 2017 --
Maintaining very high readiness during a carrier strike group’s post-deployment sustainment phase actually saves the Navy money later on, the service found, despite fears that budget constraints might hinder the Navy from making the most of that time in a ship’s deployment cycle. Under the Navy’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan, a ship undergoes routine maintenance and modernization, conducts pre-deployment workups, deploys overseas, and then comes home for a "sustainment phase" of as long as a year before heading back to the shipyard for more maintenance. Carrier strike groups in the sustainment phase could be sent back overseas for a full-length deployment in a major contingency, used locally for training, sent to respond to natural disasters if needed, or whatever the Navy and Joint Chiefs tasked it to do. (USNI News)

INDUSTRY NEWS: US to Develop Wearable SIGINT Tech

August 10, 2017 --
The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has put out a request for information for a wearable SIGINT collection device as a way to assess what high-tech gear can be provided by industry. The base requirements made by the command were for a body-worn sensor with low size weight and power (SWaP) demands and a low-profile direction-finding sensor. In addition, the request included some 87 different attributes that SOCOM would like in the sensors, some of which would seem particularly useful for commandos operating behind enemy lines who are in danger of capture. The system, according to the defensesystem.com report "shall have the ability to be reset to zero upon command". In terms of signals collection, the sensor should be capable of monitoring a frequency range of 3 to 6,000 MHz. (i-HLS)

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Fifth EW International Conference India (EWCI 2018): EWCI 2018

August 2, 2017 --
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 organised 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 Organisations. There will be an intense one-day Pre-Conference Tutorials preceding the Conference. The Conference is visualised 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."

AARDVARK ROOST: AOC Gearing up for Electronic Warfare Conference

August 2, 2017 --
The Association of Old Crows (AOC) Aardvark Roost Chapter is getting ready to host its biennial Electronic Warfare South Africa (EWSA) 2017 Conference and Exhibition in November and has announced its key speakers. The conference will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria between 6 and 8 November. The event will consist of a one-day workshop (6 November), followed by a two-day conference and exhibition (7 and 8 November), hosting local and international thought-leading EW experts. The exhibition will showcase the latest local and various international technologies as well as provide a global perspective of the capabilities within the electronic warfare (EW) community. (Defence Web)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Growlers train with Air Force, Marines During Red Flag 17-3

August 2, 2017 --
Navy EA-18G Growlers from the Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 134 Garudas at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, join Air Force and Marine assets from around the world in high-end air-to-air combat training. The Garudas are participating in Red Flag 17-3, the U.S. Air Force’s premier air-to-air combat training exercise. "The mission of the Growler is to deny and degrade enemy integrated air defense systems in order to allow strikes against enemies," said Lieutenant Kevin "Veloci" Rafter, VAQ-134 EA-18G pilot, "Basically, we jam enemy radars to allow strikers to go in and destroy the target undetected. While the radars are being jammed, the enemy cannot employ their weapons." (DVIDs)

INDUSTRY NEWS: USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Attacks ISIS

August 2, 2017 --
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is carrying out strike sorties in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from the Arabian Gulf. The first aircraft launched from USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147. Accompanying Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 squadrons part of that first flight include the "Black Knights" of VFA-154, the "Blue Diamonds" of VFA-146, the "Death Rattlers" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 and the "Bluetails" of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121. (Scout Warrior)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Air Force to Flex Its Muscles in 1st Mobility Guardian Exercise

August 2, 2017 --
It will be a show of force in the dead of night, filling the starry skies of Washington state. Thirteen C-17 Globemaster IIIs, 20 C-130 Hercules, nine KC-135 tankers, two KC-10 Extender tankers, and aircraft from four allied partner nations will work together in one huge flight to airdrop 600 soldiers, part of the first-of-its-kind Mobility Guardian exercise, officials detailed to Military.com. (Military.com)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Recent Tests Show New Air Force Tanker Can Withstand Electronic Attack

August 2, 2017 --
In a threat environment that is rapidly expanding into the electromagnetic spectrum, the KC-46A Pegasus has just successfully proved its immunity to electromagnetic pulse weapons. Eliminating a major operational risk and an obstacle on the way to product delivery, according to Boeing executives. "The KC-46A tanker is protected by various hardening and shielding technologies designed into the aircraft to negate any effects on the aircraft. This successful effort retires one of the key risks on the program," said Mike Gibbons, Vice President and Manager of the Boeing KC-46A program. (Defense Systems)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Marine Corps Aviation: Let the "Guardian Angel" Be Your Moneyball and the VMUs Your Oakland A’s

August 2, 2017 --
It is appropriate, and a tad ironic, that Moneyball is on the 2017 "Commandant’s Choice Reading List." The suggestion is consistent with the commandant’s calls, in FRAGO 01/2016, challenging marines to be "doing what we do better" and "doing what we do differently." Doing better and doing different requires adaptation. It requires a reorientation to new methods, a critical assessment of previous paradigms, and the moral courage to facilitate such thinking and execute when the evidence is overwhelming. For Marine unmanned aviation that time is now and it’s going to take a bit of Billy Beane to implement. (War on the Rocks)

INDUSTRY NEWS: China Displays Electronic Warfare Capable Drones

August 2, 2017 --
China has displayed a group of drones that can ‘paralyze and supress’ enemy early-warning and command-communication system at a military parade to mark the 90 anniversary of the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA). Global Times quoting Wu Yafei, head of the ‘electronic confrontation’ formation at the parade said that among the many armaments that were on parade at the Zhurihe military training base. (Defense World)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Russia's Air Base In Syria Is Now Filled With Advanced Multi-Role Fighters

August 2, 2017 --
New satellite images show a big change in force structure at Russia's Hmeymin airbase in Syria. The photos show no less than 20 of Russia's most capable fighters—a mix of Su-27/30/34/35s at the base. This is a substantial leap in advanced fighter aircraft capacity compared to what has historically been forward deployed to the outpost. In the past, older attack aircraft, namely Su-24 Fencers and Su-25s Frogfoots, were the most numerous types of fixed-wing combat aircraft at the installation. (The Drive)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Applies a Layered Defense Approach in Cyberspace

August 2, 2017 --
In addition to being the direct service link for U.S. Cyber Command, 10th Fleet, or Fleet Cyber Command, has a mission set in cyberspace for the Navy that is much more expansive than just the man, train and equip cyber mission force CYBERCOM contribution. In written testimony to Congress, Vice Adm. Mike Gilday, commander of 10th Fleet, said his command is "responsible for operating and securing Navy Enterprise networks, defending all Navy networks, operating our global telecommunications architecture, and providing Cryptology, Signals Intelligence [SIGINT], Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, Cyber, and Space war-fighting capabilities to support Fleet Commanders and Combatant Commanders." (Navy Times)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Russia's Next Fighter Could Come Loaded with Stealth Killing Radar and Lasers

August 2, 2017 --
The Russian defense industry is starting to look at concepts for a sixth-generation fighter that would eventually replace the Sukhoi Su-57 PAK-FA. Like the United States Air Force and the Navy, the Russians are looking at a wide range of concepts including manned-unmanned teaming, directed energy weapons and hypersonics. The Russians are also looking at novel radar and electro-optical sensor technologies that seem designed to counter stealth. (The National Interest)

INDUSTRY NEWS: India Looks for Intelligence-Gathering Aircraft

August 2, 2017 --
Aimed at countering a perceived threat from China, India is seeking to acquire seven aircraft with signals intelligence and communication-jamming capabilities with a budget of about $570 million. "The requirement is for aircraft to carry out a unique list of missions centered around a two-front threat from China and Pakistan," said Daljit Sigh, a defense analyst and retired Indian Air Force air marshal. (Defense News)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Lockheed, Navy Test Ship-Deck Firing Tech for New LRASM

August 2, 2017 --
Lockheed Martin and the Navy have fired a high-tech Long Range Anti-Ship Missile from a new deck-mounted launcher as a way to expand options for the weapon, increase possible deployments and widen the range of potential targets, industry officials said. A deck-mounted firing technology enables LRASM to fire from a much wider range of Navy ships, to include the Littoral Combat Ship and its more survivable variant - a Frigate. (Scout Warrior)

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Fifth EW International Conference India (EWCI 2018): EWCI 2018

July 26, 2017 --
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 organised 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 Organisations. There will be an intense one-day Pre-Conference Tutorials preceding the Conference. The Conference is visualised 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."

AARDVARK ROOST: AOC Gearing up for Electronic Warfare Conference

July 26, 2017 --
The Association of Old Crows (AOC) Aardvark Roost Chapter is getting ready to host its biennial Electronic Warfare South Africa (EWSA) 2017 Conference and Exhibition in November and has announced its key speakers. The conference will take place at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria between 6 and 8 November. The event will consist of a one-day workshop (6 November), followed by a two-day conference and exhibition (7 and 8 November), hosting local and international thought-leading EW experts. The exhibition will showcase the latest local and various international technologies as well as provide a global perspective of the capabilities within the electronic warfare (EW) community. (Defence Web)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Airmen Fighting ISIS Talk Future Electronic Attack Aircraft EC-X

July 26, 2017 --
No matter which company wins the Air Force contract to build the Compass Call successor, warfighters who fly the EC-130H are hoping for the new jamming plane to sport similar if not smaller airborne electronic equipment — and sooner rather than later. "There’s always a requirement to improve," Lt. Col. Matthew, mission commander with the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron, said during a recent interview. Military.com spoke with pilots and electronic warfare officers with the squadron, part of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, on a recent trip to the Middle East. They talked to this reporter on the condition that last names not be used, due to safety concerns amid ongoing air operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. (DoD Buzz)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Army Cyber Fighters Are on the Offensive Against ISIS

July 26, 2017 --
"Our problem isn’t super sophisticated," he explained. "I call it our ‘better homes and gardens’ ontology, which is essentially trucks and all of the [electronic] features that exist in general society." The last publicly disclosed major cyber operation against ISIS began last November, and raised questions about the ability for the U.S. to conduct cyber warfare in other countries’ domains whose networks happened to be used by ISIS. According to a former official quoted in The Washington Post, the operations included denying ISIS propaganda experts access to their online accounts, and remotely erasing battlefield video footage from ISIS servers. (Defense Systems)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Army Struggles To Streamline Its Networks For War

July 26, 2017 --
As the Army hardens its networks against Russian-style jamming and hacking, it can’t afford the time or money for another high-tech, high-cost, multi-year mega-program like the failed Future Combat Systems. Instead, the service mostly has to make the best of what it has. That requires an array of unglamorous improvements to its crucial networks: standardizing a dizzying array of networks to the same software baseline; simplifying software so young soldiers can use it without specialist contractors on call; streamlining hardware so it can be deployed rapidly and set up quickly in the field; and, sometimes, dusting off forgotten tech and asking, in the words of the Army’s Program Executive Officer for Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (C3T), "how the hell do we turn these on?" (Breaking Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Re-Focusing on Electronic Warfare: Shaping 21st Century Combat Capabilities

July 26, 2017 --
An increasingly sophisticated and rapidly evolving threat with ready access to advanced, commercially available off-the-shelf technology is transforming the operational context in which the Australia Defence Force must now survive and fight. The next generation battlespace will be contested across multiple domains with control of the Electromagnetic Spectrum becoming just as important as control of the Air if the Joint Force is to operate with the freedom of manoeuvre necessary to ensure campaign success. (Second Line of Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Everything You Need To Know About The Royal Navy's New Type 26 Frigates

July 26, 2017 --
After years of delays and debate, construction of the Royal Navy’s future Type 26 frigates has officially begun at a shipyard in Scotland. The full class of eight ships will provide a number of critically needed capabilities, including acting as additional escorts for the United Kingdom’s up-coming pair of supercarriers. The first of those flattops, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is in the middle of her first sea trials in the North Sea. On July 20, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon led a ceremony to cut the first steel for the lead ship at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Glasgow. (The Drive)

INDUSTRY NEWS: REF Conducts ‘Desert Burnoff’ EW Assessment

July 26, 2017 --
Against the stillness and quiet of the desolate Yuma desert, an invisible battle raged in the brutal summer heat. However, instead of bullets and bombs, these combatants harnessed the power of electromagnetic waves to disrupt their opponent. The U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force, along with the Georgia Tech Research Institute, conducted an electronic warfare test exercise here, June 19-24, to assess the capabilities of multiple systems against a series of communication and data threats. "As technology accelerates, the Army must continue to innovate faster than current and potential adversaries across multiple domains—including the electromagnetic spectrum," said Lt. Col. Scott Schumacher, a REF solutions team chief. "This is why the REF exists. We seek to provide the latest technology to the Warfighter as new threats emerge downrange." (DVIDs)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Here's How DoD Organizes its Cyber Warriors

July 26, 2017 --
The Defense Department is posturing itself to fight and win wars and conflicts in all domains, especially cyberspace. At the top level, DoD, along with the contributions of the services, is continuing to build out the cyber mission force that makes up U.S. Cyber Command, focused on strategic and joint force commander problem sets. In addition to their CMF contributions, the services are working to stand up their own cyber forces to get at service-specific, organic mission sets. (Federal Times)

INDUSTRY NEWS: China Agency Targets High-Tech Weapons Development

July 26, 2017 --
China has launched a military agency tasked with developing state of the art weapons, the latest step in the country’s ambitions to transform its army into a modern fighting force. The Scientific Research Steering Committee was set up earlier this year but its existence was only reported this week, in a documentary aired by state broadcaster CCTV. It appears to be modelled on the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, the US body set up in 1957 to identify and nurture technology with national security applications. (Financial Times)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Watch The Navy Blow Up Pretty Much Everything On Its China Lake Weapons Range

July 26, 2017 --
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, located in the western reaches of California's Mojave Desert, is a wondrous place when it comes to military aviation and pretty much everything associated with it—and it still holds some secrets. From massive, sound-stage like missile seeker testing facilities, to rocket sleds, to electronic warfare ranges and a runway dedicated to unmanned aircraft operations, NAWS China Lake offers militaries and their associated industry partners from around the world a huge menu of testing capabilities. But above all else, NAWS China Lake's expansive and diverse set of live-fire ranges are truly a national treasure. (The Drive)

PIONEER CAMP 2017: Sponsor a Camper

July 19, 2017 --
The National Electronics Museum created Go Fund Me site with the goal of raising $960.00 to sponsor 12 students for our Pioneer Camp 2017. In 2007 the National Electronics Museum launched a successful summer program, for students ages 8-10, called Pioneer Camp. Kids spend two full days at the museum learning about science and engineering through museum tours, hands-on demos, and workshops. They practice teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking plus they go home with a project they built themselves. Tuition is $80.00 which covers the cost of supplies, salaries, and program design. I met with a group of educators who spoke highly of Pioneer Camp 2016. They mentioned there were students who wanted to attend but their parents could not afford the cost. This year we set aside 12 spots, out a total of 80, and reached out to the local schools to identify deserving students with a financial need. You can help by going to the site and donating any amount. If we exceed our goal that money will be set aside for future sponsorships. Help us help these future engineers and scientists - make a donation today

INDUSTRY NEWS: DoD Puts ‘Foot on Gas Pedal’ to Catch Up on Electronic Warfare

July 19, 2017 --
After what one senior official called "25 years of inattention," the Defense Department is pushing ahead to make its defensive and offensive electronic warfare capabilities more robust. "There is an appreciation on the dependency of our electronic warfare capabilities [and] to make sure that the force — all the platforms — are survivable. I think that appreciation is very real and very substantial," William Conley, deputy director of electronic warfare in the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, said during a recent Mitchell Institute speech. (National Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: The US Navy Works Directed Energy Weapons

July 19, 2017 --
In the United States, the US Navy is the cutting edge service with regard to developing and deploying directed energy weapons technology. In part this is because ships have enough power to generate the energy necessary to operate current and next generation DE technologies. A laser has been deployed for some time onboard the USS Ponce, a retired MSC ship, and has been in operations downing drones in the Middle East. The CNO has made it clear that this is a technology, which will be deployed on ships in the near future. (Second Line of Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: The Future of Drone Wars & Countering ISIS Explosive-Laden Drones

July 19, 2017 --
The battle for Mosul has been a wakeup call for drone defense. In late 2015 it emerged that ISIS had developed the capability to deliver lethal payloads using modified commercial drones, but in Mosul the attacks reached a new pitch in February with dozens of attacks a day by drones dropping grenades. The drones were mainly consumer-grade quadcopters, the type hobbyists use for aerial photography. ISIS has previously used these for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, but the latest batch were equipped with a simple release mechanism to drop a modified 40mm grenade fitted with tailfins. (Scout Warrior)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Adapting in Stride: Fighting Tomorrow’s Battle Today

July 19, 2017 --
Somewhere in the Middle East, a marine from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, a unit known as the "Ripper," stares anxiously across the six hundred meters of no man’s land towards the far berm. A friendly convoy of white Toyota pickups speeds toward his position. Suddenly, a shockwave reverberates in his head. Behind the vehicles, a fireball rises from the civilian camp on the other side of the berm. As the black smoke billows, the marine grabs the tablet he keeps in the guard tower and texts the quick reaction force. The Special Forces team in the Toyota convoy is returning to their isolated outpost guarded by marines, but they are not alone. (War on the Rocks)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Info Ops Officer Offers Artificial Intelligence Roadmap

July 19, 2017 --
Artificial intelligence is to be the crown jewel of the Defense Department’s much-discussed Third Offset, the US military’s effort to prepare for the next 20 years. Unfortunately, "joint collaborative human-machine battle networks" are off to a slow, even stumbling, start. Recognizing that today’s AI is different from the robots that have come before, the Pentagon must seize what may be just a fleeting opportunity to get ahead on the adoption curve. Adapting the military to the coming radical change requires some simultaneous baby steps to learn first and buy second while growing leaders who can wield the tools of the fourth industrial revolution. (Breaking Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Innovation Challenge Brings Possible Advancement in F-22 Test Capabilities

July 19, 2017 --
The 412th Test Wing’s Experimentation Center for Ideas/Technology Exploration team, known as XCITE, hosted a one-day innovation challenge July 10, 2017. Several engineers from around Edwards Air Force Base partnered with members of the Desert High School Robotics team to come up with a solution to a real-world test problem. The one-day competition consisted of three teams that brainstormed ideas and designed proposals during the morning session and in the afternoon presented their solutions to a panel of leaders from various organizations on base. (AF.mil)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Russian Weapons Maker To Build AI-Directed Guns

July 19, 2017 --
The maker of the famous AK-47 rifle is building "a range of products based on neural networks," including a "fully automated combat module" that can identify and shoot at its targets. That’s what Kalashnikov spokeswoman Sofiya Ivanova told TASS, a Russian government information agency last week. It’s the latest illustration of how the U.S. and Russia differ as they develop artificial intelligence and robotics for warfare. The Kalashnikov "combat module" will consist of a gun connected to a console that constantly crunches image data "to identify targets and make decisions," Ivanova told TASS. (Defense One)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Pentagon Studies Weapons That Can Read Users’ Mind

July 19, 2017 --
The troops of tomorrow may be able to pull the trigger using only their minds. As artificially intelligent drones, hacking, jamming, and missiles accelerate the pace of combat, some of the military’s leading scientists are studying how mere humans can keep up with the incredible speed of cyber warfare, missiles and other threats. One option: Bypass crude physical controls — triggers, throttles, keyboards — and plug the computer directly into the human brain. (Breaking Defense)

INDUSTRY NEWS: BAE Selected for Electronic Warfare Suite for SOCOM C-130s

July 19, 2017 --
U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has chosen BAE Systems to provide new electronic warfare (EW) systems for its fleet of AC/MC-130J aircraft. BAE Systems will upgrade the aircraft’s survivability equipment with the capability to detect, identify, locate, deny, degrade, disrupt, and defeat various threats that aircrews encounter in hostile and challenging environments. This final selection follows a competition that included a system design phase and critical technology demonstration. (American Security Today)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Gulfstream Mounts Pro-Bizjet Blitz Ahead of Major Air Force Competitions

July 19, 2017 --
As Gulfstream waits to see whether its G550 will emerge victorious and become the Air Force’s new JSTARS and Compass Call airframe, the company has begun to fight a larger battle to win over the service as it begins contemplating future special mission aircraft requirements. The first major obstacle: convincing the Air Force that its requirements can be met with a smaller business jet and not a larger airliner, the latter of which would force Gulfstream out of upcoming competitions. (Defense News)

PIONEER CAMP 2017: Sponsor a Camper

July 12, 2017 --
The National Electronics Museum created Go Fund Me site with the goal of raising $960.00 to sponsor 12 students for our Pioneer Camp 2017. In 2007 the National Electronics Museum launched a successful summer program, for students ages 8-10, called Pioneer Camp. Kids spend two full days at the museum learning about science and engineering through museum tours, hands-on demos, and workshops. They practice teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking plus they go home with a project they built themselves. Tuition is $80.00 which covers the cost of supplies, salaries, and program design. I met with a group of educators who spoke highly of Pioneer Camp 2016. They mentioned there were students who wanted to attend but their parents could not afford the cost. This year we set aside 12 spots, out a total of 80, and reached out to the local schools to identify deserving students with a financial need. You can help by going to the site and donating any amount. If we exceed our goal that money will be set aside for future sponsorships. Help us help these future engineers and scientists &NDASH; make a donation today

INDUSTRY NEWS: Australia Set to Become One of the World's Top Aerial Electronic Warfare Powers

July 12, 2017 --
The Royal Australian Air Force is going from an air arm whose electronic warfare capability has largely been made up of off-the-shelf defensive jamming pods to one with some of the most potent and cutting-edge aerial jamming and electronic attack capabilities in the world. In addition to the country's 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets ordered as a "stop-gap" measure to bridge between the retirement of the much beloved F-111 and the introduction of the F-35A, a dozen EA-18G Growlers were also ordered by Canberra. The RAAF is the first export customer of the EA-18G, and the inclusion of the type into the force's order of battle represents a massive leap in capability for Australia and for its allies in the region. (The Drive)

INDUSTRY NEWS: A Stealth Solution for the US Air Force's Biggest Birds

July 12, 2017 --
Pentagon chiefs are looking to Silicon Valley to present ideas for a ‘now you see me, now you don’t’ cloaking technology for the largest aircraft in the fleet – aerial refuelling tankers. According to top officials from the Air Mobility Command, there is no point cloaking fighter jets while all the enemy has to do is look for the refueller. So what options are out there? Claire Apthorp finds out. (Airforce-Technology.com)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Struggling with Cyber: A Critical Look at Waging War Online

July 12, 2017 --
If media coverage is to be believed, we are in the midst of a cyberwar with daily attacks occurring across several theaters. Between dropping "cyber-bombs" on the Islamic State, Chinese intruders pilfering precious technology, and Russian information operations shaping the U.S. political process, it seems that the continuous power struggle between nations is now most commonly waged on the internet. While there might be some truth to that narrative, the reality is — of course — more nuanced. It’s difficult to define and explain attacks that are entirely virtual. To understand this, one must understand a few points about offensive network operations. First, cyber operations are not as novel as they appear. Rather, they draw heavily from the integration of electronic warfare into joint operations. (War on the Rocks)

INDUSTRY NEWS: STRATCOM Chief: US Must Speed Weapons Tests to Counter North Korea

July 12, 2017 --
The United States is moving too slowly in response to North Korea’s rapidly improving missile development program, the general in charge of America’s nuclear arsenal said. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, who leads U.S. Strategic Command, said the U.S. must take more technological risk to counter the communist state’s risk-taking leader, Kim Jong Un. "Kim Jong Un has gone very fast, and we have to step up and go fast in response," Hyten said in an interview with Stars and Stripes on Sunday. "We are not going fast. We are so risk-averse that we only test every 18 months." (Stars and Stripes)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Rapid Capabilities Office Prepares to Face Emerging Threats

July 12, 2017 --
Over the past 15 years, the Army has rightly focused on winning the current fight, said Maj. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, director of operations for the Army Rapid Capabilities Office, known as the RCO. During that time, however, the nation’s adversaries have invested in technologies in an attempt to gain parity. The rate of technological change has also encouraged the Army and sister services to stay ahead of any potential capabilities gaps in critical areas. The RCO seeks new approaches to these problems to ensure that the Army remains prepared for future challenges, Shoffner said at the Association of the United States Army’s Hot Topics seminar "Army Sustainment," June 29. (Military Spot)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Navy Moves Next-Gen Jammer Electronic Warfare to Next Phase

July 12, 2017 --
The Navy is hoping that a new, more powerful, high-tech electronic warfare jamming technology will allow strike aircraft to destroy enemy targets without being detected by modern surface-to-air missile defenses. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) is adding its Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) technology into its next Increment 2 phase to prepare the electronic warfare system to disable advanced enemy air defenses. (Defense Systems)

INDUSTRY NEWS: The First Marine Group to Focus on Electronic Warfare Just Made History at Camp Pendleton

July 12, 2017 --
In the new age of 21st-century electronic warfare, law enforcement Marines will scour battlefields for the enemy’s cell phones and forensic intelligence, drones will help infantry Marines land ashore out of sight of the adversary, and radio operators will use frequencies to disrupt the enemy’s hacking abilities. These innovations are part of a new command known as the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force’s Information Group that on July 6, made history at Camp Pendleton by becoming the first of its kind among the Corps’ Marine expeditionary forces. (Task & Purpose)

INDUSTRY NEWS: RAAF Receive Full EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft Fleet

July 12, 2017 --
Boeing has delivered the full fleet of 12 EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft to Royal Australian Air Force. The last two Growlers arrived at the RAAF Base Amberley on Saturday, completing the deliver which commenced in Feb 2017. The EA-18G Growler provide tactical escort/standoff jamming and electronic protection using onboard Radio Frequency Jammers that render enemy radar and radio systems ineffective. They disrupt, deceive or deny a broad range of military electronic systems, including radars and communications improving survivability and mission success. (Aviation Analysis)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Australia to Upgrade Wedgetail AEW&C Aircraft

July 12, 2017 --
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will upgrade its fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, to include new advanced combat identification sensors; tactical datalinks; communications hardware and encryption system; and mission computing hardware and software upgrades. The fleet was delivered by Boeing from 2009 to 2012, following a troubled development. Australian defense minister Marise Payne announced the upgrade the day before she presided over delivery of the last two of 12 Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the RAAF. (AIN Online)

PIONEER CAMP 2017: Sponsor a Camper

July 6, 2017 --
The National Electronics Museum created Go Fund Me site with the goal of raising $960.00 to sponsor 12 students for our Pioneer Camp 2017. In 2007 the National Electronics Museum launched a successful summer program, for students ages 8-10, called Pioneer Camp. Kids spend two full days at the museum learning about science and engineering through museum tours, hands-on demos, and workshops. They practice teamwork, problem solving, and critical thinking plus they go home with a project they built themselves. Tuition is $80.00 which covers the cost of supplies, salaries, and program design. I met with a group of educators who spoke highly of Pioneer Camp 2016. They mentioned there were students who wanted to attend but their parents could not afford the cost. This year we set aside 12 spots, out a total of 80, and reached out to the local schools to identify deserving students with a financial need. You can help by going to the site and donating any amount. If we exceed our goal that money will be set aside for future sponsorships. Help us help these future engineers and scientists &NDASH; make a donation today

INDUSTRY NEWS: Cyber, Electronic Warfare Blur Tactical, Strategic Lines

July 6, 2017 --
One of today's frequently emerging adages is that the character of war is changing. The rapid pace of technologies and nascent domains of war such as cyberspace are turning what used to be tactical issues into issues of strategic importance. "If we don’t win the cyber/[electronic warfare] fight, then the maneuver fight may not matter because we may not get to it," Maj. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, director of operations at the Army's Rapid Capabilities Office, said in early June, noting that the decisive fight may well be the electromagnetic spectrum as opposed to maneuver. (C4ISRNet)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Army Soldiers Encounter Simulated Russian Cyberattacks

July 6, 2017 --
Army soldiers tried to detect and fend off simulated Russian cyberattacks in a recent Cyber Quest exercise aimed at preparing the service for fast-evolving current and future cyber threats. The month-long Army event included as many as 27 vendors and more than 300 participants gathered to assess the ability of soldiers to detect anomalies and explore networks for evidence of a cyberattack; the scenarios included simulated attacks and various kinds of automated actions to replicate anticipated threats, intrusions and malicious actors. (Defense Systems)

INDUSTRY NEWS: Marines Push Cyber Warfare, but is There Enough Money for the Effort?

July 6, 2017 --
Imagine a Marine team that decimates enemy communications, spies on foes’ tanks moving toward grunts on the beach and protects American drones overhead from hackers bent on taking them over. Reflecting an ongoing evolution within the Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton on Thursday will stand up a new command modeled after its insignia – a cross shield and a hammer, protecting the force while relentlessly bludgeoning its foes. (San Diego Union-Tribune)