Advanced RF Mapping
Abstract
One of the key advantages on the battlefield is the ability to actively sense and manipulate the RF environment, enabling secure communications as well as effectively mapping and manipulating the adversary's communications in ways that defy their awareness, understanding, or response. Current approaches for dealing with RF are emitter-based, with the signal processing techniques focused on array and time based processing for each emitter. As the RF environment becomes more complex and cluttered, the number of strategic assets and commensurate signal processing inhibits effectiveness and sustainability to sense and manipulate at the precision (time, frequency, and space) required for effective action. To address these shortfalls, the Advanced RF Mapping program will develop and demonstrate new concepts for sensing the RF environment based on distributed rather than emitter-based collection. These concepts take advantage of the proliferation of RF devices (radios, cell phones) on the battlefield. To use these devices effectively, the program will develop new algorithms that can map the RF environment with minimal communication load between sensors. It will also develop approaches for exploiting our precise knowledge of the RF environment and the distributed proximity of the RF devices to provide secure communications for our warfighter as well as to infiltrate or negate our adversaries' communications networks. For example, if synchronizing distributed elements to <10 picosecond is achievable, coherent RF power projection at UHF frequencies from distributed devices would be possible. Building upon technologies investigated under other programs in this project, the Advanced RF Mapping program will enable both offensive and defensive operations in complex RF environments. Advanced RF Mapping technology is planned to transition to the Services.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Source ID
- 6b1010aa077dbdd22274c0ee75dc65c6