Military actions today depend on effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum to surveil and assess the battlespace, to protect friendly forces and equipment, and to attack the enemy. That is today's Electronic Warfare (EW), and maintaining a technological advantage across the electromagnetic spectrum can mean the difference between whether or not you complete your missions and bring your forces home.
With over 60 years of experience, our Electronic Warfare (EW) R&D unit provides uniquely advanced solutions in the design and development of next-generation multispectral capabilities on the ground, in the air, at sea, and in space. These capabilities give our armed forces significant battlefield advantages in electronic surveillance, protection, and attack for both legacy and next-generation platforms.
EW is constantly changing, but right now, our advanced Electronic Warfare R&D falls into the following focus areas:
Focus areas of Electronic Warfare R&D
Electronic protection
Our FAST Labs EW R&D team ensures that our defense clients' warfighter systems have the advanced electronic protection they need for exceptional situational awareness. This includes deploying the longest sensor range in the industry, near-instantaneous threat detection and identification, anti-jam RF/IR countermeasures, and more, for maximum electronic protection in both contested and denied environments.
The multispectral advantage
Multispectral radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), and electro-optic (EO) sensing and response technologies capture the most detailed threat intelligence, and our R&D unit's technologies make use of that in range of systems and platforms. This intelligence is delivered through signals across the electromagnetic spectrum for timely, effective response and enhanced situational awareness that facilitates superior EW performance and platform survivability, even against technically advanced adversaries.
Cognitive EW
Today, adversary threat systems are employing more agile and unknown signals to counter EW systems and to identify and target platforms more effectively. Our Cognitive EW technologies give warfighter systems greater ability to rapidly and dynamically detect, characterize, and jam known and unknown threat signals. These adaptive technologies require no prior experience with or information about signals threats in order to counter them, and they offer game-changing advantages on the battlefield. Our Cognitive EW capabilities include:
- Adaptive signal processing
- Machine learning
- Intelligent algorithms
Distributed EW
Traditional EW systems have transformed from employing 'one-on-many' to 'many-on-many' via networked information and workload sharing among payloads. This increases battlespace situational awareness and understanding, while also enabling coordination of distributed EW sensing and attack. Our Distributed EW capabilities include:
- Sensor tasking
- Data links
- Sensor fusion and integration
- Coordinated jamming across multiple EW payloads
EW demonstration systems
Our knowledgeable EW R&D team can provide clients with rapid, cost-effective ways to explore the trade space for advanced EW capabilities. These capabilities include advanced EW-system prototypes that exploit emerging technologies inclusive of hardware, algorithms, and techniques.
Technology collaboration
The FAST Labs EW R&D group welcomes collaboration with industry and academia on current or future projects. If you are interested in learning more or participating with our team,
contact us here.
Life at BAE Systems
BAE Systems' FAST Labs Electronic Warfare R&D unit is a great place to work for those who want a challenging, but rewarding career developing some of the most advanced and important technologies in the world today. Technologies that carry out our, "We protect those who protect us." mission statement every day. Whether you are an experienced pro or a talented college senior or grad student with a degree in science, engineering, or physics,
click here to learn more, or
contact our Cyber Tech Coordinator.
Learn more today. See the column at right for our EW R&D datasheet, or contact our FAST Labs R&D representative to arrange a meeting.