Modular solutions for electronic warfare and cyber threats
As adversaries evolve their use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS), maintaining an edge in electronic warfare (EW) has become increasingly critical for military operations. The Army Transformation Initiative emphasizes the need to deliver warfighting capabilities to remain agile and decisive. This necessity drives the development of Modular Mission Payloads (MMPs)—flexible EW and Radio Frequency (RF) enabled cyber implementations capable of redeployment across a variety of platforms to efficiently achieve mission objectives. Booz Allen is at the forefront of this evolution supporting the nation’s highest-priority signal missions with our R.AI.DIO® signal processing kit, extensive technical signal expertise, understanding of Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) standards, and ongoing research in Booz Allen Wavy Labs™ and DarkLabs™.
Addressing the Challenges of Modern Warfare
Developing platform-agnostic MMPs capable of robust and adaptive responses presents a significant technical challenge. Army platforms must swiftly identify signals, interpret their intents, and assign appropriate countermeasures. Given the adversaries' rapidly evolving tactics, this demands constant research and development of new detectors and tools. EW systems must be proficient in identifying both known and unknown signals, processing waveforms to understand use, and delivering effects from protocol manipulation through device access for cyber effects.
Booz Allen’s Innovative Solutions
The R.AI.DIO® signal processing kit’s capability, alongside our SOSA-compliant wideband heterogeneous signal processing edge receiver system, effectively addresses these challenges.
R.AI.DIO® integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with radio signal processing, enabling rapid signal discovery, characterization, and countermeasure development. These AI algorithms encompass both traditional and machine learning-enabled approaches for detection, filtering, demodulation, signal simulation, geolocation, and direction finding. Our comprehensive toolkit is essential for developing EW and RF enabled cyber capabilities that interact at protocol levels to deny, delay, disrupt, destroy, and manipulate (D4M) signals to effectively counter adversary systems. Our use of AI enables real-time spectrum monitoring, signal analysis, and protocol development to achieve rapid effects and counter adversary use of the EMS.
Booz Allen’s wideband heterogeneous signal processing edge receiver system provides a robust deployment platform for R.AI.DIO® algorithms supporting a wide range of signal, EW, and RF cyber use cases. It utilizes radio frequency system-on-chips (RFSoCs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and central processing units (CPUs) for real-time digital signal processing (DSP) within a SOSA-aligned, OpenVPX chassis. Initial signal detection occurs in the FPGA, while subsequent AI/machine learning classification and DSP tasks are handled by the CPU, ensuring efficient processing of large bandwidths.
Real-World Applications
Imagine detecting an unknown signal during a mission. The wideband heterogeneous signal processing edge receiver system provides the hardware resources to acquire the signal while R.AI.DIO® provides the algorithms and capabilities to automatically analyze parameters such as modulation types and transmission patterns, comparing them against known signals to better understand evolving threats.
Its algorithms offer emission pattern analysis to develop digital fingerprints for devices to enumerate and understand the environment. All R.AI.DIO® algorithms operate on a variety of hardware form factors with their own size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints across mobile (backpack form factor), vehicular, or terrestrial systems. Our R.AI.DIO® solution decreases time from collection of an unknown signal to development of a countermeasure.
After a signal is identified, R.AI.DIO® algorithms are rapidly integrated as the components to produce a processing stack to send and receive protocol messages. Our existing library of components includes modulation schemes, filters, and other signal processing components able to be rapidly integrated to perform protocol compliant transmissions. This stack enables operators to interrogate the signal, join the network, and apply existing RF enabled Cyber and EW techniques, ensuring mission success despite the evolving threat landscape.
Future-Proofing Against Emerging Threats
To achieve the full vision of MMPs, the rapid development of protocols must be paired with effects to attain the decisive action needed on mission. Booz Allen’s DarkLabs team brings premier cyber and EW research to continually look at security architectures of RF protocols and devices and maintain advantage over adversary use. The DarkLabs research team utilizes our vulnerability assessment process, refined through support to numerous government customers, to rapidly map a protocol’s behavior, focus on potential vulnerabilities, and produce a technique to affect the signal.
Booz Allen’s continuous investment in cutting-edge technologies like R.AI.DIO® and the wideband heterogeneous signal processing edge receiver system ensures we stay ahead of emerging threats. As new protocols and signals emerge, our integrated approach allows for the rapid development and implementation of advanced EW and cyber MMPs. Wavy Labs' expertise in signal processing and Dark Labs' prowess in cyber research ensure our solutions are not just reactive but proactive, anticipating and countering adversarial advancements.
At Booz Allen, we are committed to bridging the gap between traditional cyber capabilities and RF enabled cyber and EW capabilities needed for the agile and decisive action of future conflict. By leveraging software-defined radios and edge compute, we enable seamless interaction with systems at the protocol level. The strength of Booz Allen’s Wavy Labs and DarkLabs brings the integrated approach to provide comprehensive solutions.
Moving Forward
In the complex and congested EMS environment, Booz Allen’s advanced technology solutions empower national and military intelligence to maintain a strategic edge. Explore how Booz Allen can transform your EW capabilities and achieve mission success.
