Joint Electronic Advanced Technology
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DoD) must be ready to meet the widespread and growing asymmetric electronic threats that are proliferating at an alarming rate, enabled by widely available commercial electronic components and devices. These range from improvised devices constructed from commercially available electronic and industrial components to dedicated military devices that could be used in ways that diminish our technological advantage in conflicts with nation-states. The surprisingly fast appearance of these threats is accelerating quicker than the requirements and acquisition process can respond. The use of asymmetric devices is well understood by terrorists and nation-states alike. Using man portable air defense systems, mortars, and improvised explosive devices actuated by electronic components terrorists have attacked both air and ground forces and pose a threat in any region due to their portability. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also strongly enabled by electronic components are proliferating and pose a threat both as a military capability and as a potential terrorist weapons delivery mechanism. Technological surprise and speed of appearance are two asymmetries that highlight the need to rapidly develop and field Electronic Warfare, Information Operations, and Asymmetric Warfare capabilities capable of neutralizing such threats in ways that are both fiscally and temporally responsive. This program element investigates means to rapidly mitigate asymmetric threats by integrating advanced commercial and military off-the-shelf technologies in innovative ways; rapidly demonstrating new technological capabilities to augment and/or reduce risk when inserted into service programs of record. Efforts will also look for methods to employ asymmetric principles against our adversaries. Beginning in FY 2014, the Joint Electronic Advanced Technology (JEAT) project reorganized to be in better alignment with Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)) electronic warfare research priorities. Particularly, JEAT established three pillars that will support the JEAT approach to innovation: 1) experimentation/demonstration, 2) advanced technology development/verification, and 3) innovative technology exploration. The overarching JEAT philosophy is to be adaptive and to help lead the pace of rapid electronic systems development and the evolving threat picture. Experimentation/Demonstration: Vigilant Hammer - A recurring multi-year, multi-agency, live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) venue of increasing complexity and difficulty which advances the state of the art for the detection, classification, geolocation and prosecution of electromagnetic signals of interest using DoD and national resources. The event will be modeled after the BLACK DART and Trident Spectre venues, and will include scripted and free play scenarios intended to give participants an opportunity to identify synergies and incrementally build capabilities to engage threats. Engagement (Hammer) payloads will be developed and vetted through distributed electronic effects development. Advanced Technology Development/Verification: Distributed electronic effects development – A laboratory and developmental construct that will assess emerging Electronic Warfare (EW) technologies, allowing more effective coordination of sensor and electronic attack capabilities to deliver multi-point, collaborative EW services to warfighters. Distributed electronic effects development will seek to identify and match technologies together that have natural synergies and produce more capability than the sum of the individual capabilities. Software Programmable/Spectrum Diverse Electronic Attack (EA) Capability – Opportunities exist to adapt existing technology used for communication and other purposes into highly configurable EA capability. This technology will help counter adversary movement into advanced military purpose digital electronic systems. Beginning in FY 2014, JEAT began to adapt software configurable communications technology to be used as part of a distributed, networked, EA capability that can be readily adapted for installation in a wide variety of host platforms. Innovative Technology Exploration: Adaptive/Asymmetric Technology – This effort directly supports ASD(R&E), Director EW and Countermeasures (EW&C) by performing analyses and studies of emerging asymmetric threats. Past efforts under this JEAT project include the Aircraft Survivability Equipment Joint Analysis Team and the Helicopter Survivability Task Force, both of which resulted in significant strategic technology investments by the Department.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- P619_0603618D8Z_3_0400_PB_2015
Related Documents
- Root: Joint Electronic Advanced Technology
- Child Accomplishment: Integrated Situational Awareness and Countermeasures (FY 2013 effort)
- Child Accomplishment: Low Cost/Near Term Counter Asymmetric Systems (FY 2013 effort)
- Child Accomplishment: Disruptive Technology Defeat and Utilization (FY 2013 effort)
- Child Accomplishment: Experimentation/Demonstration
- Child Accomplishment: Advanced Technology Development/Verification
- Child Accomplishment: Innovative Technology Exploration