WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force wants industry pitches for better electronic intelligence capabilities.
The broad agency announcement, released Aug. 31 by the Air Force Research Laboratory, calls for a first round of whitepapers from industry for solutions that can use existing as well as emerging technologies for automated, real-time signal detection, processing, exploitation and reporting of both existing and emerging electronic intelligence signals. The capability is meant to support ground and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.
As countries have modernized their systems, the battlefield has become awash with exponentially more signals and noise. Electronic intelligence, or ELINT, capabilities can help track and identify targets as well as provide threat analysis and assessments.
The online posting calls for enhanced software and hardware for ELINT signal processing that can address the increased complexity and volume of signals on the battlefield. The Air Force also wants an improved collection system for single and multiplatform collection; the development of technologies for emerging ELINT signals; the enhancement of databases that use multi-source, multiplatform, real-time collection systems; and the development of capabilities to improve the timeliness and accuracy of post-mission ELINT interception.
The Air Force’s plan is broken into five years, from fiscal 2021 to fiscal 2025. The service plans to provide $10 million each year but 2025, for which $9.9 million is allocated. The effort closes Sept. 30, 2025.
While multiple awards are expected, formal proposals will be by invitation only, the notice stated.
Mark Pomerleau is a reporter for C4ISRNET, covering information warfare and cyberspace.
