ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Feedback from a field demonstration for the Soldiers of the 11th Cyber Battalion reinforced the need for a “develop once, deploy everywhere” framework for non-kinetic cyber effects used to disrupt and neutralize enemy signals across the electromagnetic spectrum.
The demonstration, led by the U.S. Army’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center and Product Manager Offensive Cyber Warfare – on behalf of Project Manager Cyber Warfare – took place from Aug. 5-8 at Aberdeen Proving Ground. It was a critical step for the continued integration of three program of record capabilities.
“This event allowed us to demonstrate for the first time the interconnections of three separate programs, something we have worked towards for a year,” said Maj. Michael Owens, Assistant Product Manager for the Tactical Cyber Equipment Radiofrequency Delivery Effects Platform (TCE RDEP) Product Office in Project Manager Cyber Warfare, under the U.S. Army Capability Program Executive for Intelligence and Spectrum Warfare (CPE ISW). “The exercise proved that the programs can integrate and share data to create and deliver Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) effects at the speed of need on the battlefield. We generated a large amount of data points that we will use to continue development of these programs and deliver unmatched capability to the Army’s cyber warfare battalions."
The combined system includes three specific technologies across the C5ISR Center and CPE ISW. One component is the Tactical Development Kit (TDK), which provides a forward-deployed library of adversary signal types using the U.S. Cyber Command Arsenal’s list of known signals of interest, plus a capability for analyzing and developing counter-measures for new, unknown signals.
The second component is the Tactical Radio Frequency Application Chassis (TRAC), which is a ruggedized, open-architecture platform using a C5ISR-developed family of technologies known as the Cyber/EW, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS). It performs spectrum monitoring, CEMA mission planning, and non-kinetic effects deployment to neutralize the adversary’s signals.
The final component, known as Warped Alloy, is a software system that produces radio frequency-enabled signal effects. These effects are on the protocol level and can deauthorize the adversary’s signals at that protocol level. This is a departure from older devices that simply overwhelm adversary signals with electromagnetic energy blasts.
The combination of the three working in concert represents a leap forward in CEMA technology. "With Warped Alloy, we are no longer waiting on long development cycles to counter emerging threats. We now have a framework to rapidly develop and deploy modular mission payloads to our forward sensors at the speed of combat," said Maj. Austin Walrabenstein, 11th Cyber Battalion Capabilities Lead.
The demonstration scenario simulated a real-world battlefield in which a target is identified downrange. It emits a signal of interest on the electromagnetic spectrum that simulates adversary forces communicating with each other as they stage an attack. The blue team monitors the spectrum using TRAC and picks up the signal. It sends that data to the TDK, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to identify the frequency and waveform of that signal. Using its trained models, the TDK identifies the signal and that data is used to determine a Warped Alloy response, which is launched from TRAC’s hosted software defined radio.
Warped Alloy allows dynamic reconfiguration of tactical software defined radios to outpace our enemies in the electromagnetic spectrum. As the adversary goes through its PACE plan – going from primary to alternate to contingency and emergency channels – Warped Alloy maintains its denial of communications until the protocol is changed, and the process starts over again.
Warped Alloy is a great example of how the C5ISR Center is advancing technologies that put vital capabilities into the hands of Soldiers, according to its director, Beth Ferry. “The capability to shut down an adversary’s communications is a force multiplier. It gives our military information dominance and control of the electromagnetic spectrum.”
The Army released the underlying Warped Alloy software framework to industry last January. This open-source release will allow industry technology developers to build the Warped Alloy framework into any new software-defined radio architecture and encourage collaboration with the Army and Joint service as software defined radio technologies evolve.
The next steps for Warped Alloy are to make the system more user friendly, perform more demonstrations with Soldiers and refine the system. Ultimately, C5ISR Center and CPE ISW plan to have a fully integrated system that does not require Soldiers to jump between computers as the data moves between devices so that they have a system that’s ‘push a button, get an effect’ on a single screen.
Reflecting on the importance of their mission, Brian Cavanaugh, C5ISR Center electronics engineer, added, “The Center continues working closely with industry to rapidly develop and integrate new solutions because of the importance of rapidly bringing new technology into the hands of the warfighter.”
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The U.S. Army Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center is the Army’s applied research and advanced technology development center for C5ISR capabilities. As the Army’s primary integrator of C5ISR technologies and systems, DEVCOM C5ISR Center supports our networked Warfighters by identifying, developing, maturing, and rapidly integrating innovative technologies to drive continuous transformation.
DEVCOM C5ISR Center is an asset of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. DEVCOM is the Futures and Concepts Command’s leader and integrator within a global ecosystem of scientific exploration and technological innovation. DEVCOM expertise spans seven major competency areas to provide integrated research, development, analysis and engineering support to the Army and Department of War. From rockets to robots, drones to dozers, and aviation to artillery, DEVCOM innovation is at the core of the combat capabilities American Warfighters need to win on the battlefield of the future. For more information, visit c5isrcenter.devcom.army.mil.
CPE ISW is a key enabler for Multi-Domain Operations as the organization sits at the crossroads of multiple Army modernization efforts. Due to the CPE’s extremely diversified portfolio, it supports a wide range of organizations throughout the Army, as well as Joint partners. By delving into the customers and partners this portfolio engages with, you will find they encompass Army G-2, Army Aviation, Army Cyber Command, Cyber Center of Excellence, Intelligence Center of Excellence, Intelligence and Security Command, Space & Missile Defense Command, Army Futures Command, Combat Capabilities Development Command, MDO Task Forces and many more.
PM Cyber Warfare delivers innovative and dominant offensive and defensive cyber capabilities to national, joint and allied partners. These capabilities provide a decisive warfighting information advantage through rapid prototyping, deployable and cloud-based solutions, cyber analytics, threat detection, and acquisition services, focusing on delivering integrated, cost-effective solutions that enable the United States to achieve and maintain superiority across the information warfare and cyber domains.
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