The warfighter has a mission to accomplish, yet is faced with a threat environment dominated by more complex and robust weapon systems worldwide. Survivability of the warfighter and integrity of his/her platform--whether ship, aircraft, or ground vehicle--is paramount. The self-protection subarea will produce advanced, automated active jammer technologies and associated/integrated EA/ECM techniques across the RF, EO, and IR spectrums. Critically linked to the employment of the appropriate counter is the previous subarea of threat warning because it provides accurate warning and SA in time to execute the optimum self-protection response. Development of automated, effective, and reliable self-protection systems will free crews to concentrate on executing their assigned mission, putting the weapon on target, etc. Self-protection technology has opportunities to make a transition at all levels of weapon system development. Specifically, these systems include advanced multispectral expendables, decoys, and IR and RF jamming systems; and incremental upgrades to existing systems with compact, reliable, space and weight saving technologies. Technology insertion will play a pivotal role toward enhancing existing systems so that they will remain effective into the 21st century.
3.11.2.1 Goals and Timeframes. The self-protection technology subarea addresses (1) the ability to counter microwave and MMW RF threat radars via the development of advanced coherent jamming and deception technologies, and development of decoys for self-protection and angular deception of sensors; (2) laser technology to detect/perform scan analysis and jam EO and IR threat systems, and improving flares in the IR, UV, and RF bands that will be capable of defeating multimode or monomode threats; and (3) advanced component insertion/architectures that result in reduced size, cost, and weight of active CM systems. Major goals and associated timeframes are listed in Table X-12.
3.11.2.2 Major Technical Challenges. In the basic threat engagement, to the first order, the decision to employ self-protection is linked to the threat warning function--the challenge being the optimal, precise selection and timing of the CM (e.g., premature electromagnetic radiation from the platform only serves to highlight its presence/location to the threat; poorly timed flare ejections will be rejected by the ECCM features of the IR missile). This issue/challenge becomes even more critical for low-observable (LO) platforms and for Special Operations Forces (SOF) missions. The LO challenge is in the development of self-protection hardware, materials, electronic techniques, and the digital modeling thereof that will be compatible with this class of platform. In the decoy arena, RF challenges include developing increasingly more sophisticated electronics to fit within existing dispensers at an affordable cost; enhancements to chaff technology to extend the frequency coverage; and protecting slow-moving, large cross section ships from the ASCM. In the IR, the challenges include decoy techniques for the forecasted class of imaging seekers, development of composite flare materials that emulate the signatures of the warfighter's platform, maintaining the position of the flare/decoy in missile seeker's field-of-view (FOV), and achieving covert effectiveness where dictated by the mission. In the RF jamming area, multiple challenges include jammer design with high transmitter-receiver isolation; coherent, high-fidelity jamming waveforms; reactive/retro directive capability; coordinated, time-synchronized, multiple platform response; and a modular design scaleable to all platforms. In the IR/electro-optical regime, major challenges involve the radiation of multiple laser wavelengths necessary to jam a variety of threat missiles simultaneously; demonstrating small, low-cost laser pointing and tracking devices to deliver adequate multiband laser energy in the high maneuver dynamics of combat aircraft; designing and demonstrating EO/CM fieldable prototype for ship self-defense; tracking incoming threats via reflected laser energy or missile plume emissions; and steering IR/EO laser beams without the need for a complex, costly, stabilized gimbal platform.
| Application/Mission | Short Term (1-2 Years) | Mid Term (3-5 Years) | Long Term (6+ Years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microwave through MMW jamming capability for shipborne, airborne, and ground platforms. | Develop and demo MMW power module. Develop fiber-optic-coupled/controlled towed decoy. |
Demo MMW fiber optic link and phase shifter. Develop MMW towed decoy. Develop low-cost DRFM technology. Develop multiple tap delay line technology. |
Develop and demo integrated multispectral self-protection system. Demo multi-tactical platform/ALQ-compatible integration in a wideband configuration. |
| Develop and demo integrated MPM phased array architectures. | Develop and demo broadband, polarization-agile transmit/receive architecture with 3-5-deg beam control. | ||
| Defeat advanced IR imaging seekers using expendable CM and jamming. | Investigate and lab demo baseline CM techniques. | Exploit foreign FPAs. Conduct live-fire, cable-car test of fiber-optic-coupled, multiline lasers and expendables. |
Develop and demo compact, integrated, laser-based, closed-loop IRCM capability. |
| Laser-based IRCM capability. | Integrate and test DARPA Phase 1 laser (2 W, all bands) under MSCM &
TACAIR DIRCM ATDs. Deliver DARPA Phase II multiband laser (20 W, 10-20 kHz). |
Demonstrate large aircraft IRCM capability. | Expand laser bands to long-wave IR and visible camera (40% increase in jamming band). Develop packageable/ compact multiline IR source laser. |
| Defeat advanced non-imaging IR missile seekers employing sophisticated CCMs using expendables. | Experimental evaluation of the advanced expendable concepts including spectrally balanced two-color flare. | Field testing of expendable concepts for aircraft and ship protection | Transition demonstrated technology to the warfighter. |
| Defeat advanced ASM seekers using onboard advanced transmitters and offboard decoys. | Initial demo of Eager prefe-rential decoy. | Demonstration of advanced ECM transmitter technology. | Incorporate advanced transmitter and decoys into AIEWS design. |
3.11.2.3 Related Federal and Private Sector Efforts. DoD has the primary/sole responsibility for self-protection S&T within the federal government--with very few applications to the private sector. This subarea is supported by the IR&D investments of numerous defense industry contractors.
3.11.3 S&T Investment Strategy
In executing the self-protection subarea, focus is maintained on specific technology demonstrations that synergistically integrate advanced antenna/aperture, transmitter/source, and coherent/digital exciter techniques with their companion threat warning functions in order that mutually parallel technology development progress can be achieved. National investments between the technology and demonstration efforts are allocated in accordance with their potential payoff to warfighting needs and affordability, and their relative contribution to achieving self-protection goals.
3.11.3.1 Technology Demonstrations. In the near term, as recommended by the 1995 and 1996 Technology Area Review and Assessments (TARA) of EW, the number one EW S&T priority is IRCM. In the aggregate, this posture is reflected by the concerted efforts in no less than six formal EW DTAP DTOs. In FY96-97, these six are synergistically supported/supplanted by the vital, new Missile Warning Sensor Technology DTO (WE.48.08) and those DTOs in the previously discussed DEW area (WE.19.08 , .42.08 , and .43.08). In FY96, the DARPA Tri-Service Laser Program provided the services two multiband IR laser sources. DARPA tri-service contracts are pursuing competing technologies toward achieving the 20-W/20-kHz goal (DTO WE.09.08 in FY96). Also ending in FY97, the TACAIR DIRCM ATD will take the first step of demonstrating the feasibility of laser-based IRCM for future tactical applications via a flyable testbed. Its results, along with JWSTP DTO H.05, will form the basis for a planned, cooperative, major AF/N demonstration of an affordable, fixed-wing/transonic IRCM capability.
In the RF subarea, there are two funded ATDs: "Eager" (ending in FY97) and the Advanced ECM Transmitter. The Eager ATD system will provide an integrated offboard, towed, hovering decoy EA system, while the Advanced ECM Transmitter ATD (H.06) will demonstrate a true time-delay phased-array EA transmitter. Both ATD systems are scheduled to transition into the Advanced Integrated Electronic Warfare System (AIEWS). Additionally, two new RFCM demonstration-level efforts have been incorporated into this year's plans (WE.46.08 and H.08). In particular, WE.46.08 has the strong transition potential for impacting the ALQ upgrades to the aging airborne platform inventory, the future AIEWS, and planned demonstrations for next-generation standoff/standin jamming architecture/systems (see following Section 3.12).
3.11.3.2 Technology Development. The service and agency efforts in the self-protection subarea are divided into three classes:
3.11.3.3 Basic Research. The research in the self-protection subarea is similar to the threat warning subarea (Section 3.10.3.3). Additional research includes physics and chemistry for basic IR source materials used in IR decoys; band-gap-engineered materials to lead to cascade lasers for highly efficient, room-temperature, mid-IR laser sources for jamming; neural net processing supporting development of efficient and effective algorithms for missile detection; fiber optics development for beam transport required for distributed aperture warning receivers; and nanostructure research in optical filters supporting development of spectral filters for missile warning sensors.
