DARPA hybrid analog, digital, photonic and electronic processor technologies for real-time signal intelligence

U.S. military researchers are asking for industry’s help in developing a combination hybrid analog, digital, photonic, and electronic processor to help analyze RF and optical signals for situational awareness. The project seeks to enable U.S. and allied warfighters to understand in near-real-time all the waveform details, source type and class, signal format, and geolocation of detected RF signals, as well as the information these signals carry and whether or not the information is encrypted.

The Department of Defense (DoD) conducts air, land, maritime, space and cyberspace operations which increasingly depend on access and control of full electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Many layers of EM signals are leveraged for communication, command, control, intelligence, sensing and attack.