Air Force to shift to open architecture for electronic warfare

The Air Force is looking to transition to an open architecture system for electronic warfare that would allow airmen to coordinate operations across multiple platforms.

This shift intends to address "the next generation electronic warfare (EW) threats that require rapidly adaptable, next generation system-of-system solutions," an Air Force request for information states. "Traditional EW system acquisition approaches lead to stagnant and irrelevant capabilities."

The RFI, published today, aims to evaluate industry’s capacity to provide an open-architecture system, which would include both electronic attack and electronic surveillance capabilities.

The technology should incorporate the latest sensor open system architecture, open mission systems and universal command and control interface standards.

"Implementation of these standards permits multi-domain coordinated non-platform specific capabilities with an adaptable hardware and software upgrade path," the notice states.

Responses to the RFI are due Feb. 28. Depending on these submissions, the Air Force may host a demonstration in government labs this June. The event will include six notional signals and three generic jamming techniques.