Armada Analysis - Podcasts

The US and her allies are embracing the Multi-Domain Operations philosophy with the Joint All Domain Command and Control System is at the heart of this endeavour. Multi-Domain Operations, or MDO, focus on improving the pace and quality of decision-making at the expense of one’s adversary. The goal is to navigate the famed OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) loop at a faster clip than your enemy. Get MDO right and you will always be proactive while your opponent is forced to be reactive. JADC2 The Joint All Domain Command and Control architecture, or JADC2, is the US Department of Defence’s networking and computing project that will enable MDO. JADC2 will see the inter- and intra-force connection of all personnel, weapons, sensors, platforms, subsystems and capabilities at all levels of war. The undertaking is ambitious. Reports say that since 2022 the Pentagon has spent up to $2.6 billion on JADC2. A further $9 billion could be spent on the initiative before the end of the decade. In episode 15 of Armada’s Radioflash! podcast we talk to Leslie Hulser, executive vice president, corporate strategy of Persistent Systems. We examine the status of JADC2, what this overarching effort has achieved to date, potential problems and shortcomings, and the work that still needs to be performed.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are two much-heralded technologies set to revolutionise signals intelligence collection, processing and dissemination. An increasingly congested radio spectrum is set to challenge the limits of human cognition in the search for the signal of interest. In this episode of Radioflash! we catch up with Patrick ‘Krown’ Killingsworth, EpiSci’s director of autonomy projects. We define the terms Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) and their unique capabilities. ML algorithms are trained on huge amounts of data which makes these algorithms great for processing huge amounts of data, a key requirement in Signals Intelligence (SIGINT). The application of AI and ML in SIGINT is not necessarily about replacing the human but helping the SIGINT operator sort these data. Nonetheless, the continuing introduction of AI and ML into SIGINT analysis prompts concern and enthusiasm in equal measure. Ensuring that enough data are available for training algorithms creates challenges given the paucity of data which the SIGINT cadre may be interested in. We talk about the risks of using synthetic data for training and tackling the risk by anticipating potential problems from the start. AI- and ML-enabled SIGINT systems continue to get smarter, faster and more accurate. The future brings challenges in terms of moving this SIGINT technology from the strategic level to the tactical edge, although edge computing in the tactical domain should help no end in this regard.

The importance of space as a domain of warfare is deepening. Since the dawn of the space age in the 1950s, militaries have exploited space for communications, espionage and strategic attack. Despite the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, military demand for space is as strong as ever. The assertiveness of the People’s Republic of China and Russia is making space ever more strategically important. Expanding global military interest in the cosmos is impacting the electromagnetic environment. Actors seek to preserve access to their space-based assets while denying this to their rivals. In this latest episode of the Radioflash! podcast we are joined by Juliana Suess, a research fellow studying space security at the Royal United Services Institute defence and security thinktank in London. We discuss counterpace weapons, both kinetic and electronic, and their long history. The influence of cyberwarfare as a counterspace weapon also falls under our gaze. We examine the changing nature of counterspace warfare and the fact that attacks may no longer only be the preserve of nation states. We tackle the use of space Electronic Warfare (EW) during the ongoing war in Ukraine, and Russian capabilities. Moreover, the influence of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) jamming forms part of our discussion. We also talk about the steps that state and non-state actors can take to reduce their risks from space EW.

One of the Cold War’s great ‘what ifs?’ was whether the United Kingdom’s V-Bomber nuclear deterrent force would have been able to reach and attack its targets in the Soviet Union. In the 1950s and ‘60s, the Royal Air Force’s V-Bomber fleet was the custodian of Britian’s nuclear deterrent. A trio of aircraft, namely the Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and Avro Vulcan series strategic bombers were all tasked to deliver nuclear weapons of varying yields to targets in the Soviet Union (USSR). Should the Third World War have broken out, these aircraft would have flown to their aimpoints in the USSR across what was arguably the most heavily defended airspace in the world. How likely was it that these aircraft would have reached their targets, delivered their nuclear weapons and escape unscathed? Would the electronic countermeasures carried by these aircraft have successfully defended them against Soviet radar? Could the V-bombers adequately jam the radio communications Soviet air defences depend upon? A new book by historian Dr. Tony Redding, entitled V-Bombers on Britain’s Nuclear Frontline, lifts the veil on aspects of the V-Bomber force that have hitherto been shrouded in mystery. In this Radioflash! podcast he joins us to tackle such questions and to share other results of his research on the UK’s nuclear deterrent. More details of Dr. Redding’s publications can be found on his website.

Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip have once again highlighted the perils and pitfalls of urban electronic warfare, much as US-led operations in Iraq did several years earlier. In episode 8 of the Radioflash! podcast, we chatted to Colonel Jeffrey H. ‘Fish’ Fischer, a European and global security expert, and author of the Curt Nover series of thrillers. Fish talked about the Electronic Warfare (EW) implications of Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. This discussion generated significant interest and prompted an old friend of the podcast, Major Erik Bamford, to get in touch. Maj. Bamford is the Norwegian Armed Forces’ staff officer for electronic warfare and the Association of Old Crows’ director of region 1. Region 1 covers Africa, Europe and Middle East. In this episode, we discuss the unique challenges inherent in performing EW in built-up areas. Maj. Bamford outlines the current state-of-the-art regarding the general literature on urban warfare. He talks about the place of electronic warfare within wider theories and approaches to urban combat. It is noteworthy, he says, that there is a paucity of dedicated texts looking at the peculiarities of EW in built-up areas. The examination of urban EW has tended to focus on electronic warfare’s role in the counter-improvised explosive device battle. Meanwhile, troops must fight in a complex built-up environment home to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Radio Frequency (RF) emitters. To further complicate matters, radio waves have strange behaviours in urban environments, bouncing off hard surfaces and working badly underground. Certain building materials either reflect or absorb RF in particular ways. These phenomena only serve to further complicate the EW cadres’ work in the urban environment. Maj. Bamford is keen to work with other EW practitioners who share his interest in urban electronic warfare and he can be contacted via the Armada website.

In this episode of Radioflash! we explore how the war between Israel and Hamas could unfold in the electromagnetic spectrum. On 7th October, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a series of devastating raids on numerous targets in Israel. As of late October, is it believed that these attacks have killed over 1,400 people. Over five thousand have been injured and Hamas has abducted in excess of 200. The surprise attack seemingly caught Israel’s government, her military and security services unaware. Inevitably, this has prompted questions regarding the extent to which these institutions failed to anticipate the actions of Hamas. Israel is known for employing one of the most comprehensive signals intelligence capabilities in the world, and the Israeli military’s electronic warfare attributes are among the best. How is the war between Hamas and Israel being fought in the electromagnetic spectrum and how could this conflict develop as Israel’s actions against the militants unfold. For this episode of Radioflash! we are joined by Colonel Jeffrey H. ‘Fisch’ Fischer. Col Fischer is a European and global security expert, and author of the Curt Nover series of thrillers. We will be asking how the Israeli intelligence community seemingly either missed warnings that the attack was going to take place, or failed to act on those warnings? How did Hamas’ intelligence picture seemingly work so efficiently in allowing the organisation to pull off such an audacious attack? What effect will anticipated subterranean warfare in Gaza’s conurbations have on Israel’s application of electronic warfare? Join us as we explore these questions and more.

Milrem Robotics has made impressive strides in developing innovative robotics solutions for challenging environments. Established in 2013, Milrem developed Type-X, which was the first RCV designed for unmanned operations, as well as the renowned THeMIS which is currently part of the robotics program in 16 countries. In this episode, we are joined by Kuldar Väärsi, the CEO and Founder of Milrem Robotics. Having recently joined the Platforms & Systems cluster of EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defence groups, Kuldar sheds light on Milrem’s growth strategy and ambitious autonomous and robotics roadmap, giving listeners a glimpse into the current trends in the UGV market and the future of robotic warfare.