To Our Valued EMSO Colleagues across the nation and the world:
As the world continues to observe COVID-19 protocols, we remain steadfast in our devotion to Excellence in the Electromagnetic Environment. Nearly every one of our coveted EW conferences was cancelled or postponed this year. It has been somewhat informative to participate in online events, such as the International AOC’s Virtual EMS Summit (covered later in this newsletter). The Virtual Summit was very well-attended with over 1500 registrants. The topics were germane to EMSO today and listening to EMSO leaders and subject matter experts in our living and dining rooms was quite welcomed (after getting all of our EMSO news for the past 2 months from reading magazines and browsing websites). Given the sensitive nature of EMSO for national defense, it really isn’t practical to expect the online events to carry the same substance as the live events, nor should they. It is already concerning how much “unclassified” detail is out there. Freedom of Information Act be damned: we need to exercise more rigor around protecting our secret sauce. WSS remains hopeful that accurate scientific and medical data will emerge soon to indicate we can congregate safely and freely, getting us back to our familiar EMSO Community of Interest activities.
These last few months were not without respite, though. For a couple of researchers like us, the quiet time at home offered an opportunity to do some focused reading and perform erudite research on topics such as the “Etymology of Electronic Warfare,” and potential future applications for NGJ. Melinda submitted an abstract for the 57th AOC Symposium and Convention’s Call for Papers entitiled, “Nanolasers for ADO: Star Wars on a Chip for Optimal Battle Management.” We are waiting to hear if it is selected.
Sincerely Yours in the EME,
Charlie and Tango
Virtual EMS Summit 2020
Online Virtual Event
19-20 May, 2020
We’d like to start off by congratulating the AOC on a very successful, first-ever virtual EMS Summit. The staff did a fantastic job making it work – kudos to them. It was a great opportunity for WSS because we do what we do by attending shows and keeping our connections and network fresh, making new connections and staying up to date with what is going on in the services with EMSO plans, programs, and capabilities. We heard leaders say the words, “EW,” and that was very comforting. Fantastic job pulling together Pt. Mugu and Crane interests, since those shows were suspended. Industry participation (commercials, if you will) were really inspiring, because with the virtual framework there was no opportunity to visit the booths. Mike Ryan from SRC created an excellent video for this summit: “Spectrum Dominance in Multi-Domain Operations.” Industries that presented truly pulled out all the stops – videos, graphics – and we thought it was very valuable.
In his kickoff remarks, Mr. Bryan Clark presented the work CSBA did last year supporting the 2019 NDAA tasking. We thank Bryan for the shout-out to WSS for the work we did supporting that effort (Appendix 1 – U.S. EW Capabilities was FOUO. If you believe you are eligible to have a copy, please call Tango: (603)-459-3619).
Briefing slides were made available as the speakers were able to do so. A copy of the agenda can be accessed by clicking here.
Navy CAPT Michael Orr, call sign, “Bobby,” program manager for Airborne Electronic Attack SPO, PMA-234 gave an update on the status of the Next-Gen Jammer program for the Navy. This was of particular interest to WSS given current work we are doing with ALION S&T. (Peek ahead in this newsletter for details on the contract work).
Gen. John Murray, Commander US Army Futures Command, talked about the joint concept for MDO and the way the Army is combining EW/SIGINT/Cyber in one unit. WSS reported on this work in 2018 <Warrior Support Solutions, LLC contributes to Army SIGINT Strategy>. Two years ago, the Army said they would do it and now they are. Troops and equipment are being resourced and maneuvered.
End of Day One: Col. Kevin Finch, USA, Program Manager for Army EW & Cyber, gave a presentation entitled, “Multi-Domain Operations in the Electromagnetic Spectrum.” He gave an update on how the Army is moving out fielding their EW/SIGINT/Cyber platforms such as TLIS, and other programs coming in FY20-28. He spoke about programs such as: Joint Common Access Platform, the Cyber Warfare Battalion, EWPMT, Multifunction EW (MFEW) Air-Large just got funded, PROPHET upgrades – just got funded, Tactical Space Superiority for the Army, and current updates to CREW. Col. Finch is trying to set conditions for the future for cross-portfolio integration of EW/SIGINT/Cyber. This effort is particularly impressive because it combines multiple PMs from multiple PEOs working together to make EMSO excellence happen. If you’re fielding troops that are EW/SIGINT/Cyber experts in units that are EW/SIGINT/Cyber, you better have the acquisition community aligned with the warfighting community in order to share budget and resources. Because they are not currently, it is a cross-PM, cross-PEO, similar to IPTs. This work presents a significant cultural challenge.
Maj. Gen. Landrum, OSD’s EMSO CFT Director, made a presentation with Chris O’Donnell, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Platform and Weapon Portfolio Management, OUSD (A&S). There were no slides for this presentation. He talked about the EMS Superiority strategy; no details, but it is the new singular strategy. There will be an implementation plan, also. He also mentioned that JP 3-85 Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (JEMSO) is in final approval (Note: it has since been released and is available on line). He spoke about systems that are dynamic in the spectrum, sensing and access. No longer will we field systems that work from this frequency to this frequency. He did not yet support the EMS as a domain. This presentation is really important to WSS from an overarching capability construct. The EMSO CFT is not service-specific, so every service will need to meet this strategy. It applies to all of DoD, industry, and academia. This is what will lead DOTMLPF acquisition into the future. This will be directive; this is how the DoD will fight in the spectrum. The implementation plan will tell how we will accomplish this vision.
Chris O’Donnell kept his presentation very broad, talking about MDO and Air Battle Management, JADC2: every sensor linked to every shooter. He did talk about capability portfolio management. We found this interesting because that is what our prime Air Force customer for the last 15 years was designated to do for the Air Force (The former AFLCMC/XZA was the Capability Management organization for Airborne Electronic Attack. As part of the new A5L and the new numbered Air Force (16th), this tasking has been reassigned. If you would like more detail on that, please call Tango: (603)-459-3619). Mr. O’Donnell talked about Mission Engineering, which is Systems Engineering on steroids, e.g. how does this system fit into an overarching capability? This discipline resides above the platform level. He also talked about acquisition reform, one vital piece to see that EMSO technologies get integrated into real systems and deployed quickly for our warfighters.
To cap off each of the two days, WSS participated in two “virtual social hours,” with comrades from the event. Invited attendees were encouraged to “grab their favorite beverage” and log/dial in. On Day One, WSS hosted the social hour with its GoToMeeting account. On Day Two, Bill Conley hosted the event on Zoom. It was surprisingly well attended and a lot of fun. People were happy to connect and remarked that if we kept doing virtual summits, we should be sure to include plans for virtual social hours at the end of each day.
Tango’s musings:
As I sit at home in front of my computer for many more hours than I thought I was capable of or would ever be needed for my job, I contemplate the progress being made in EMSO in 2020. The EMSO CFT has published a draft EMS Superiority Strategy which is currently going through 4-star-level coordination. I am pleased and encouraged to see that it includes several recommendations from WSS’s congressional report in 2019. It also truly embodies the challenges of operating in the EMS with civilians of every variety around the CONUS and the world. It outlines strategy to manage those challenges. Despite the holding pattern for final approval at this time, the CFT is moving out on writing an implementation plan to realize the vision laid out in the strategy: “Freedom of Action in the EMS.” The EMSO CFT “gets it,” and I think we may have turned the corner on engendering a healthy respect for assured access to and management of the electromagnetic spectrum. It even mentions 5G and allied partnerships. Now, if we only had the big three – Responsibility, Authority, and Money – all in one leadership organization…
Also, Joint Pub 3-85 – Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations – recently got ratified, ostensibly to finalize content from Joint Doctrine Note 3-16 (dated 20 Oct 2016). This is great news and great progress as well. We needed a stake in the ground for Joint EMSO doctrine. Success and Superiority in the EMS depends uniquely on the four services operating together; not just operationally, but also in sharing best practices, lessons learned, and precious resources (e.g. R&D investments, technology, systems). There just isn’t enough time, money, and troops to make it happen in silos by service.
Interestingly, even though Maj. Gen. Landrum wore Air Force service dress during his presentation at the Virtual EMS Summit, he was not representing the US Air Force, but rather, the EMSO CFT. This means there was no Air Force EMSO discussion at this event. All of the other services were discussed…I think the community would love to hear from HAF/A5L about their plans and progress.
I’m glad to see the term, “EMSO” catching on. It was a long-time coming and we needed to move on from “Electronic Warfare.” I firmly believe that to achieve EMS Superiority we need to leap ahead of current adversarial capabilities, not just meet them where they are at today. I await additional news on progress being made in this area. We do know maneuver warfare within the spectrum is fundamental for EMSO, but we are going to need to approach our planning and strategizing in a whole new way in order to realize successful effects. Let’s just say I am keeping my “radar up and aperture open” on this one…
Warrior Support Solutions, LLC News to Cheer About
***EXTRA, EXTRA, Read All About It***
Teamwork – Warrior Support Solutions, LLC and Hudson Institute
Warrior Support Solutions, LLC was name-requested by the Hudson Institute to join forces in assembling an EMSO Capability Study for the U.S. Navy. Mr. Bryan Clark and Mr. Tim Walton, formerly of CSBA and now with the Hudson Institute, worked with WSS in 2019 to co-author a report for U.S. Congress on EMSO Capabilities to meet tasking from the 2019 NDAA. We thank and shout-out to Bryan and Tim for including us in this important EMSO study.
WSS feels very strongly that congruence and continuity are called for to build a reliable EMSO knowledge base that can inform EMSO strategy, policy, doctrine, and investments. Continuing to utilize the subject matter expertise of one, respected EMS study house will help ensure that new EMSO knowledge is grounded and reliable.
As part of this teamwork, WSS is once again to produce a final report on U.S. EMSO Capabilities. The findings in this report will be combined with adversary analysis to design and create a predictive algorithm on EMSO capabilities within the DoD. Content for the final report will come from three, by invitation-only workshops assembling the most prominent EMSO leaders in the DoD.
The workshops are being held on GoTo Meeting, a comprehensive video-conferencing tool not made and managed by China. WSS will be hosting the conferences and facilitating collection of the content for future reporting needs.
Teamwork – Warrior Support Solutions, LLC and ALION Science & Technology, Inc.
Warrior Support Solutions, LLC is contracted with Alion S&T, Inc. to lead a study to assess DoD capabilities in Offensive-Airborne Electronic Attack (O-AEA). WSS assembled the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), the kick-off briefing slide deck, and facilitated the kickoff meeting. The study is divided into three phases: A Mission-Needs Analysis, an Operational Concept Analysis, and Market Research. The goal is to identify gaps in our O-AEA capabilities. WSS is confident we will contribute our expertise and rigor to an informative report. If your company has similar needs, please reach out to us: info@warriorss.com.
Convention News
Warrior Support Solutions, LLC, was so pleased to have had their paper, DoSD: Denial of Spectrum Denial, selected for the upcoming Joint Air Power Competence Centre JAPCC 2020 Conference. Our headline can be found here: <JAPCC Read Ahead – Warrior Support Solutions>. The entire Read Ahead Booklet for the conference can be found clicking here.
We have a bit of a challenge to attend JAPCC because the new dates conflict with the next AOC International Symposium and Convention: <57th International AOC Symposium and Convention> . There really isn’t a choice: we will be attending AOC’s convention. WSS stands with and remains an staunch advocate of AOC and will attend its shows until we aren’t doing EMSO anymore….hmm….
The 57th Symposium is an exciting venue for WSS, because Melinda and Steve (a.k.a. Charlie and Tango) are running for AOC board positions and…
Melinda submitted an abstract for the AOC Call for Papers and we are waiting to hear if it is selected. It is entitled, “Nanolasers for ADO: Star Wars on a Chip for Optimal Battle Management.”
Abstract: Conventional semiconductor lasers for optical computing are quickly being outperformed by the promise of sub-atomic, quantum-level performance of nanolasers. There is no question that nano-semiconductor lasers have the appropriate power efficiency and data throughput necessary for ADO. Its compact form factor and high thermal conductivity make it the ideal device for optical computing systems destined to enable JADC2 and ABMS. The unique quantum mechanics associated with nanoscale laser devices present some challenges that have not been encountered before in designing optical computing devices. Nevertheless, these challenges must be researched and overcome. There is too much at stake: the imminence of AI and ML for comprehensive battlespace management forecast computing speeds in excess of 100Tbit/s. Industry must keep researching devices that are capable of fulfilling the performance requirements of ADO.
This paper will report on progress being made in nanolaser research and development. First, an elementary explanation of the architecture of nanolasers will be presented. Then, a case will be made for why conventional semiconductor lasers will no longer “fit the bill” for ADO requirements. Despite the vast industry capability to mass-produce conventional semiconductor lasers, ultimately, their form factor alone (SWAP), resolution, and throughput will not meet the data processing requirements necessary for ADO. This presentation will report on the advancements in architectures for mode confinement and the choice of materials for the optical gain region of nanolasers. Exploration of organic and inorganic materials for gain mediums and the pros and cons of each will be explored. Finally, this presentation will reveal the state of the art and the art of the possible for nanolasers in enabling the transmission and processing of information necessary to fuse a battle picture with the appropriate detail and accuracy vital for successful ADO.
Melinda for Northeast Director
As an AOC board member, Mrs. Tourangeau will contribute her time and talent to help strategize and program manage the AOC’s key initiatives in STEM, Education, Career and Professional Development, the JED, webinars, chapters and membership. She will devote her passion and advanced knowledge of EW systems to achieve goals set by the board and the AOC executive staff. Mrs. Tourangeau is a team player and works in concert with all board and executive members to collaborate, mediate, and find a solution that will work for everyone.
Steve for At-Large Director
As an AOC International Board member, Tango will continue to champion the criticality of EMS Operations in current and future conflicts and advocate for necessary capabilities for our warfighters. By improving communication, collaboration and coordination with all chapters and the general membership, the AOC will have tremendous influence on our future warfighters’ ability to dominate the EMS.
WSS Fun News
Melinda and Steve were chosen to interview and have photographs taken for an exciting documentary and book called, “Portraits of Sacrifice and Bravery,” being assembled by Swim With A Mission. We will share details as they become available.
