Message posted by Smythers on July 05, 2020 at 13:11:49 PST:
"Cognitive Electronic Warfare (CEW) is the use of cognitive systems – commonly known as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or machine learning – to enhance development and operation of Electronic Warfare (EW) technologies for the defense community." AI... And again, from BAE So we can see that there is a very real effort in play to get a system into service that will be able to react instantly. But it will require a massive amount of Artificial Intelligence behind it so that the waveform of an airframe and its EW systems can be altered on the fly. Funnily enough, a certain USAF General said this a few years back about a next generation tanker airframe, and I quote here Gen Carlton Everhart clarified earlier comments he made last September, when he told reporters the USAF was considering whether the next-generation tanker should include standoff, stealth or penetrating capabilities. "During a 2 March (2017) interview at the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, Everhart told reporters the tanker must maintain persistence and survivabililty as it flies close to other USAF aircraft. He clarified that the tanker may not be stealthy, but should fend off enemy aircraft by manipulating radar signatures." Which is changing waveforms, on the fly. And requires what? Vast amounts of computing power that can react instantly. Enter Artificial Intelligence. And the RQ-180 and the reasons *I deeply suspect* that this airframe won't be revealed for a good number of years yet. Back in the days of the cold war when I first cut teeth inside the EW field, collection was a matter of annoying the Soviets enough that they opened up their radar and other EW systems, sent out a good strong signal that we could hoover up, drag it all back to the lab and have at it over a matter of months. Some projects took years, and yet were still relevant as the peer forces faced were still using the same radars and other systems. Back then, we had time to roll out an effective system. Leap forwards to today, and it is a hellish landscape of quick snap / shoot sensors with the ability to leap about the spectrum (LPI) and cause major headaches for our forces. Enter the RQ-180 - and I am wagering a small bet here that onboard this airframe are three systems 1) A high speed OPTICAL air to satellite comms system capable of at least 8gB a second transfer rates 2) A defensive management suit that is plugged real time into Beale AFB and is not only sniffing out signals as it over flies certain borders, but is also ferreting out their vulnerabilities in real time, which brings us to point 3) Instant real time ability to update all assets in a strike package, allowing non-LO airframes to snake between frequencies, keeping them shielded somewhat from harm. Point 3 is especially vital as we are now seeing the swarming 'Loyal Wingman' efforts come to fruition, and aboard these? Nodes for high speed communications between airframes of an LO nature. So that is why I have a sneaky suspicion that the 180 will stay hidden in the shadows for a long time yet - It offers an expotential leap in capabilities not ever seen upon the airborne battle field, and is staying firmly in the black until after the Raider is rolled out. last word then on my ramble - should go to the folks at Beale AFB and the 427th. The CMCC presents integrated and fused multi-domain and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance data to decision makers and will use man-on-the-loop, artificial intelligence and machine learning to reduce human task load while executing its’ mission objective. The CMCC provides products and services and more advanced and inclusive than any legacy Theater Air Control System element. “Everyone in my unit is ready to start working in this building,” Burnham mentioned. “There is so much more room here than our other building. This facility has such a distinct purpose and capability, and we all cannot wait to put ourselves to work.” "CMCC also provides crews with the most comprehensive situational understanding of highly contested areas of operations while allowing them to synchronize multi-domain effects, and adapt in a dynamic environment using machine-to-machine communication, A.I. tenants, and rapid capability expansion. "
From BAE (2016) (All materials inside this discussion have public sources I can pinpoint to unless they are noted as my own specualtion)
"True cognitive EW systems, he explained, should be able enter into an environment not knowing anything about adversarial systems, understand them and even devise countermeasures rapidly. Cognition in this space is essentially applying machine learning to make systems smarter, according to Josh Niedzwiecki, director of sensor processing and exploitation at BAE Systems."
"The US Air Force’s KC-Z tanker may not be stealthy, but should be persistent and able to change its waveform signature management, according to the service’s head of air mobility command.
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