ADELPHI, Md. – Researchers at the Army’s sole fundamental research laboratory and the Virginia Army National Guard are partnering to advance electronic warfare capabilities.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory, DEVCOM Army Research Office, and the Virginia Army National Guard’s 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team kicked off their collaboration at Fort Pickett, Virginia.
Electronic warfare is the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to gain a military advantage by disrupting, denying or degrading an adversary’s communications and electronic systems while protecting friendly forces’ use of the spectrum.
“By grounding research in Soldier experience, this collaboration will help accelerate the science needed to improve the range, runtime, and reliability of future Army EW systems,” said Dr. Matt Glasscott, ARO program manager and lead for the effort.
This effort is just one of several ongoing research initiatives between ARL and the Virginia National Guard, reflecting a strong and growing partnership focused on the Army’s continuous transformation and Soldier readiness.
“Our partnership with the Army Research Laboratory is pivotal to the Virginia National Guard’s commitment to modernization and readiness,” said Brig. Gen. Rusty McGuire, Virginia National Guard, Assistant Adjutant General for Army Strategic Initiatives. “This collaboration ensures our Soldiers are at the forefront of innovation, equipped to counter emerging threats and prepared to excel in overseas deployments. It highlights the vital role our Guard members play in advancing the security of our nation.”
The event marked the beginning of a multi-year effort to address operational challenges faced by Soldiers in the field and to enhance the performance of an Army electronic warfare and signals intelligence system designed to provide Brigade Combat Teams with advanced capabilities to detect, identify, locate, and disrupt enemy communications and electronic signals.
“This collaboration is a great opportunity to interface with and listen to the Soldiers who use these systems every day,” said Dr. Adam Wilson, an ARL task lead for the program. “We are addressing their challenges with innovative solutions. Their insights are critical to shaping the future of electronic warfare technology.”
During the visit, the research team observed the 116th MBCT’s training exercise with the Terrestrial Layer System-Brigade Combat Team electronic warfare system and conducted preliminary field experiments related to thermal behavior, battery performance and system carriage and storage configurations.
Working closely with Soldiers, the team is trying to understand how the thermal generation in these systems affects battery performance and how battery performance can be maximized under the extreme conditions required for these systems.
Future engagements will include live-fire exercises and additional field experiments to refine and validate solutions.
“This is just the beginning of a long-term collaboration that will not only address current challenges but also anticipate future needs,” said Dr. Kyle Grew, ARL branch chief for battery science. “By working hand-in-hand with Soldiers, we’re getting the ground truth on the challenges that the Army’s electronic warfare systems and the batteries that power them are facing to ensure that our research is focused on meeting the real demands of tomorrow’s battlefield.”
By DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs
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