Wednesday, November 19, 2025

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Sutherland Theatre

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Details

The dramatic reduction in satellite communication costs—driven by more efficient launch systems and rapid advances in digital signal processing across all domains—has fundamentally transformed the electromagnetic landscape. Today, not only is it more feasible for adversaries to deny access to space-based assets but signals themselves are now more easily detectable and vulnerable to interception, jamming, and spoofing. This shift is reshaping how effective Command and Control (C2) can be sustained in combat environments. Until recently—before the Ukraine-Russia conflict brought it back into sharp focus—understanding and leveraging the electromagnetic spectrum, including advanced modulation techniques, was a largely neglected area. For decades, RF communications “just worked,” especially in uncontested environments or within tightly governed commercial spectrum allocations. However, modern battlefields now demand commercial-grade expectations of bandwidth, frequency availability, and low latency—but without the regulatory protections. In this new RF war, access to the spectrum is not a given. Maintaining operational C2 is no longer a technical problem to be solved once, but a dynamic challenge to be fought over continuously. In this context, a multi-waveform strategy becomes not just useful, but essential. By leveraging multiple waveforms—ranging from legacy systems to cutting-edge, adaptive, and resilient digital waveforms—forces can dynamically shift across frequencies, modulation schemes, and communication paths based on real-time conditions. This flexibility complicates enemy targeting efforts, reduces the risk of single points of failure, and enhances survivability in spectrum-contested environments. Drawing on real-world lessons from ongoing conflicts, this session will explore how communication technology vendors are responding to these operational realities

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Speaker