Key Takeaways
- The US military needs to maintain its information dominance across domains, and BAE Systems’ FAST Labs is addressing this need by developing and implementing new solutions.
- The pace of innovation in communications and electronic warfare is accelerating, and the US must develop new technologies and approaches to counteract adversaries’ moves.
- BAE Systems’ FAST Labs is focusing on developing system-of-systems capabilities and architectures to accelerate the pace of innovation.
- The lab is working on projects such as radio frequency machine learning and custom microelectronics to give the US military an edge over its adversaries.
- The future of software is expected to be smart and connected, with a focus on software-defined systems and artificial intelligence.
Introduction to the Problem
The US military is facing a significant challenge in maintaining its information dominance across domains. As adversaries become better at keeping up with the pace of innovation, the US needs to develop new strategies to stay ahead. BAE Systems’ FAST Labs, the R&D wing of Electronic Systems, is addressing this need by focusing on developing and implementing new solutions. The lab is combining its extensive production capabilities with its R&D organization to develop ideas and test them in the field quickly, enabling rapid adaptation to meet constantly changing demands.
The Current State of Communications and Electronic Warfare
According to Leonard Lublin, deputy vice president and general manager for BAE Systems’ FAST Labs, the current state of communications and electronic warfare is a "perpetual cat and mouse game" where the US must develop new technologies and approaches to counteract adversaries’ moves. The rate at which the US needs to develop new technologies is increasing, and the US must come up with more impactful approaches to maintain its dominance. Tim Grayson, vice president and general manager, added that the pace of innovation is accelerating rapidly, and the challenge is predicting where it will accelerate next.
Developing System-of-Systems Capabilities
To address this challenge, BAE Systems’ FAST Labs is focusing on developing system-of-systems capabilities and architectures. Grayson explained that the lab is working on "mosaic warfare," where different systems can be pulled together to create new capabilities quickly. The lab is also working on operational imperatives, which involves focusing on the mission problem and decomposing it to identify the necessary technologies. By doing so, the lab can develop technologies that are tailored to specific mission problems, rather than just developing new technologies for their own sake.
Turning R&D into Reality
Lublin explained that one of the key advantages of BAE Systems’ FAST Labs is its ability to turn R&D into reality quickly. The lab has a substantial installed base of capabilities, including factories that can manufacture and teams that know how to build hardened military products. The lab is building strong connective tissues between its scientists and its businesses to take advantage of this installed base. By doing so, the lab can develop new capabilities and test them in the field quickly, enabling rapid adaptation to meet changing demands.
The Future of Software
Lublin also discussed the future of software, which is expected to be smart and connected. The lab is working on projects such as radio frequency machine learning, which involves developing unique models for artificial intelligence and applying them to the radio frequency signal domain. The lab is also working on software-defined systems, which can be updated and modified quickly to respond to changing threats. However, one of the major challenges of software is making sure it is accessible in contested and denied environments. Grayson explained that the lab is tackling this challenge by developing hardware and software that are inherently more resilient, such as radio boxes that can be augmented with A.I.-enabled radio frequency.
Microelectronics and Custom Electronics
Grayson also discussed the evolution of microelectronics, which is critical to the development of new military systems. The lab is being circumspect about where it invests and pursues research funding, and is looking for opportunities to ride the commercial wave and use commercial parts. However, the lab is also looking for opportunities to develop custom electronics that can give the US military an edge over its adversaries. Lublin added that high-performance microelectronics are available commercially, but the US needs to develop unique discriminating microelectronics to go beyond what is commercially available and maintain its overmatch against its adversaries.
