Cognitive Electronic Warfare
This program integrates multiple projects to achieve massed non-kinetic warfare dominance for the Department of War (DoW) Counter Long Range Kill Chain (C-LRKC) and Counter-Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (C-C5ISR) constructs. It includes three initial interrelated activities that capture and exploit EW effectiveness improvements/synergies in contested/congested battlespaces. These activities include: 1) Algorithm and Applications (Algo & Apps) 2) EW Dev Env and 3) MEAP. The Alg & Apps project continues efforts initiated under PE 64270F in FY2024 (as Cog EW) and extends those actions to identify/discover, investigate, and nominate potential advanced algorithms that can fill gaps in our abilities to automatically sense the electromagnetic environment, employ machine learning (ML) to understand it, and adapt or create new electromagnetic countermeasures in real-time to defeat adversary capabilities. This provides agile and adaptive responses to novel, ambiguous, and complex adversary radar and communication systems. The EW Dev Env project ties together several on-going AF, other service, and commercial activities by building and utilizing an evolving digital infrastructure to advance promising algorithms through an integrated disciplined maturation/validation process constituting the front end of an ""EW Application Pipeline” as the entry point of an AF standard methodology for producing and delivering advanced capabilities to rapidly meet operational requirements and transition advanced technologies to fielded capabilities in collaboration with weapon system program offices and ACC's 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing (SWW). It leverages work done under AFRL's E-Gon and the AF Open Architecture Test Pipeline (AOATP) efforts. This process will ultimately be used to implement Cog EW attributes into fieldable and supportable warfighting capabilities. The Mod EA Payloads (MEAP) project is a use case exemplar exercising the Algo & Apps and EW Dev Env processes to produce fieldable supportable advanced EA capabilities for applications in multiple crewed and uncrewed platforms. It will produce various form factor payloads for integration into Open Architecture hardware/software platforms providing both offensive and defensive EA for host and other airborne entities in contested/congested environments.
FY2027 planned work Investigate/identify additional advanced algorithms beyond those already being pursued and model/simulate mission effects they produce for entry into the EW Development Environment development/maturation processes.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Program decreased due to acceleration of other program thrust
FY2026 plans — current year Identify multiple algorithms suitable for further development/maturation/demonstration in collaboration with AFRL's ARCM lab. Initiate maturation efforts similar to what was demonstrated in the ACEDE project. Cooperate with AFRL's E-Gon program to provide promising algorithms to that program for further development.
FY2027 planned work Further mature infrastructure with a focus on ensuring required M&S capability is in place
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase due to program acceleration to transition EW capabilities from one system to another.
FY2026 plans — current year Cover existing gaps needed to move applications out of the R&D community and modify existing dev/sec/ops environments to ensure they meet strategic enterprise needs.
FY2027 planned work Initiate preliminary design activities using the derived threshold values leading to fabrication and demonstration of prototype payloads. Initiate planning for test and demonstration systems.
FY2026 to FY2027 change Funding increase due to program acceleration of transition capabilities onto diverse system(s).
FY2026 plans — current year Cover existing gaps needed to move applications out of the R&D community and modify existing dev/sec/ops environments to ensure they meet strategic enterprise needs.