WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. — The future operations environment calls for tomorrow’s technology to transfer more signals to and from the battlefield via an invisible spectrum. Whether it’s to communicate back to the command or to attack the adversary, communication between electronics and the Soldier are critical. Despite this pathway of information being invisible, it doesn’t stop them from being susceptible to attack.
Electromagnetic warfare, or EW, has the capacity to shape future conflicts, which is why analysts at the U.S Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Analysis Center, or DAC, at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, are already preparing for this new front. But how do you analyze the effects of invisible EW conflicts in a controlled environment?
DAC is designed to be the Army’s one-stop-shop for all things analysis, capable of modeling, simulating and putting products through their paces to ensure the Army’s war-winning decision dominance. Now, when it comes to EW, DAC looks to its various laboratories to determine the superior location/space to experiment with such future attacks. With the implementation of anechoic chambers, determining lethality and resistances to signal attacks is one way the Army leverages DAC’s expertise in this field.
“The key, for signals testing, is to have a controlled and virtually ‘sterile’ test environment,” says Berenice Verdin, Ph.D., a science and technology team lead at DAC. “Which is why we have the anechoic chamber to fully ensure we are getting the most accurate and representative data for our simulations.”
Anechoic chambers are carefully constructed facilities that nullify reflections and signal interference, thereby making a space for precise measurements when it comes to testing equipment such as radar and signal jamming. These expansive rooms also provide the most optimal setting for testing EW attacks, both offensive and defensive.
The chambers are filled with oddly shaped cones protruding out of the sides. Although the geometry is eccentric, it's designed to eliminate sounds, signals and any various other waveforms from reflecting or refracting off the chambers’ surfaces. DAC has two dedicated anechoic facilities and one reverberation chamber at White Sands Missile Range, with all three varying in size and purpose.
“We have the capability to test on large vehicles, as well as small aircraft,” says Verdin. “We often play the part of the enemy, simulating signal attacks on our assets to try and determine vulnerabilities or the effectiveness of shielding countermeasures.”
The analysts at the facility also have the ability to simulate the data in real-time, meaning more efficient and effective analysis. It’s these instances of critical analysis through DAC’s labs, such as White Sands Missile Ranges anechoic chambers, that the Army of 2030 will reach its goal of having improved intelligence, fires, protection, sustainment and mission command capabilities.
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