Rapid Array Development (RAD)
Abstract
The Rapid Array Development (RAD) program seeks to leverage recent developments in flexible and adaptive radio frequency (RF) hardware, access to a larger variety of more powerful computing platforms, and advances in software virtualization to radically change the development and deployment cycle for electromagnetic (EM) arrays. EM arrays, which enable communications, radar and electronic warfare (EW), are currently high performance but slow and costly to create. In contrast, they must evolve rapidly in order to adapt to new modes of operation and changing operating parameters associated with modern military threats. However, the available design and test infrastructure is not flexible enough to support testing and fielding new EM array algorithms across a wide variety of military platforms. Furthermore, EM software and hardware are often developed in separate silos; as a result, implementing new EM applications in hardware tends to require a lengthy and expensive development process with extended cycles of iteration between the two areas. RAD will therefore focus on three core areas: (1) making ultra-flexible testbeds for existing and future EM arrays accessible to the DoD community; (2) reducing the complexity of phased array hardware through high level abstraction; and (3) speeding up EM system development time through hardware/software co-design. In light of changing requirements, the resulting technologies would also enable DoD greater reuse of its available hardware resources while minimizing the need to modify specialized EM systems, leading to improved and simplified upgrade cycles. Technologies developed under the RAD program are planned for transition to the services through a series of demonstrations proving the radically shorter time scale of development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- 0bdebc84e94bd1d7bc186db925bb8127