Advanced Novel Spectrum Warfare Environment Research (ANSWER)

The objective for ANSWER is to research, design, test, and transition resilient, adaptive spectrum warfare technologies and techniques to enable mission assured warfighting capabilities in contested and denied environments consistent with A2/AD scenarios. With an ever changing environment between red and blue forces, the ability to control the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is a key requirement to achieving success in warfighter operations. This is a daunting task under benign conditions and becomes even more of a challenge as adversaries are able to employ various denial capabilities.

The most challenging denial scenario is normally referred to as the Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) scenario. If one can successfully conduct EMS operations under A2/AD conditions, then successful operations in other less challenging environments should be achievable as well. To accomplish this, the warfighter needs to be able to control adversary use of EMS, ensure friendly access to/use of EMS, protect sensor/avionics end nodes, establish/maintain secure communications/data links in dense EMS environments; and assure the availability of accurate position, navigation, and timing (PNT) information. The ANSWER program is designed to address these challenges.