Electronic Warfare Basic Research

The Electronic Warfare Basic Research program (PE 0601275A) is a foundational Army research initiative focused on advancing scientific knowledge and technology for electronic warfare (EW) and electromagnetic spectrum operations. The program is part of the Department of Defense Capability Based (Agile) Funding pilot, which aims to accelerate innovation and deployment of promising technologies. Funding is realigned from several previous research elements to better address emerging Army needs in EW, sensing, and networking. The program is managed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and leverages both in-house expertise and collaborative research efforts with academia and industry.

A61: Sensing and Electromagnetics for Army Environments supports basic research in novel materials, radar, sensing, precision measurements, and device architectures for EW applications. Key objectives include developing advanced semiconductor materials for low-power sensing and quantum networks, modeling battery materials for improved energy storage, and exploring new device architectures for communication in GPS-denied or jammed environments. Research also focuses on high energy laser (HEL) materials, physics-informed machine learning for complex phenomena, and foundational modeling for advanced semiconductor electronics. These efforts aim to enable next-generation sensors, distributed radar, alternative position, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems, and improved thermal management for EW systems.

Within A61, specific projects include investigations into topological and magnetic materials for low-power sensing, battery and sensor material modeling, and development of optical clock concepts for robust timing in denied environments. Other initiatives address the need for scalable, energy-efficient, and resilient EW systems through research on high energy laser materials, semiconductor modeling for advanced electronics, and foundational distributed radar. Additional research explores compact non-linear elements, novel materials for emerging electromagnetic bands, and ultra-short pulse laser technologies.

A62: Army Agile University Tech Collaborative Alliances funds collaborative research alliances between Army labs, academia, and industry to address scientific challenges in EW and rapidly transition innovations to the warfighter. This project supports a range of research areas, including tactical edge cognitive computing for ultra-efficient AI microelectronics, cyber-electromagnetic convergence, and the Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) for distributed sensing and communication. The collaborative approach leverages commercial agility, academic innovation, and Army mission focus to drive scientific objectives and talent development for future EW applications.

Key efforts under A62 include development of low-power AI hardware for counter-C5 operations in denied environments, exploration of the integration of cyber and electromagnetic domains, and investigation of IoT exploitation for situational awareness and adversary disruption. Other projects advance laser propagation and precision timing technologies, and support novel materials, sensing, and high-power electronics for EW. Research includes adaptive wavefront control, thorium-229 for precision timing nuclear clocks, full spectrum structural color, long-lived RF spectrum sensing, and ultrawide bandgap RF center.

Additional objectives in A62 include modeling materials and devices to accelerate EW component development, studying energy storage degradation mechanisms, and investigating terahertz communications capable of bypassing physical obstructions. Autonomous sensing, neuromorphic computing, and resilient communications for human-agent teams are addressed through intelligent sensing nodes and shared world models for enhanced formation dominance. Quantum science research for next-generation RF sensing, timing, and secure communications is also supported.