Why Sensors and Signal Analysis Are So Vital to Defense
There are legions of extremely smart people working for defense contractors on things like sensor development and signal analysis. Such scientific pursuits may not make sense to someone who thinks of national defense in terms of raw power, but they make perfect sense to those who understand the nature of modern warfare.
Sensor development and signal analysis are critical to national defense in the era of GPS, computer guided weaponry, artificial intelligence, and deep learning. If you do not understand why, you need look no further than recent news coming out of the Middle East. It would appear as though Russian interests in Syria are sending out fake GPS signals interfering with both commercial and military aircraft.
The signals are jamming GPS devices to the extent that pilots can no longer trust the readings on their aircraft. They are having to rely on either backup systems or manual flight until they get through the jamming zone. None of this is unexpected. However, it is a reminder of the need to keep pace with other military powers so as to defend ourselves against any hostile activity.
The Warfare of Disruption
In the old days, warfare was all about raw power. The side with the strongest, toughest army would win most battles as long as intelligent tactics were utilized. Things are different today. In modern warfare, raw power is complemented by an ability to disrupt a foe’s assets. Electronic disruption is, by necessity, a big part of modern warfare.
This takes us to what’s going on in the Middle East. According to National Interest contributor David Axe, Russian forces stationed in Syria have been jamming GPS systems for several months now. The Times of Israel first began reporting on the issue in June 2019.
Apparently, commercial airliners flying through Israeli airspace have discovered that their GPS signals were either incorrect or completely lost. Pilots have had to rely on backup systems when landing at or taking off from Ben Gurion International Airport.
Israeli officials do not believe the signal jamming is aimed specifically at them given that their ground-based GPS equipment still works fine. They believe the signal jamming is a general effort by Russian assets to protect themselves against Western fighter planes and drones. Civilian aircraft are caught up in the net as they fly through the affected airspace.
Disrupting the Disruptors
So, what would you do if you had charge over the Israeli or U.S. defenses in the area? You would call on your defense contractors to figure out a way to disrupt the disruptors. That’s the kind of thing companies like California-based Rock West Solutions work on.
Rock West and other contractors specialize in sensor development and signal processing. They develop hardware and software to enhance military asset capabilities. There is no official word of any such contractors working on a way to overcome GPS jamming, but you can bet they are. Our military is not known for standing pat while allowing Russia, China, or any other potential adversary to beat us with technology.
It is obvious that modern warfare is high-tech warfare. Raw power still matters in terms of winning individual battles. But it is increasingly apparent that technology like signal processing and sensory development is what will ultimately win wars. As such, companies like Rock West Solutions are playing an ever-growing role in maintaining U.S. defense capabilities.
Yes, scientific pursuits like sensor development and signal analysis are vital to national defense. Some of our best ‘soldiers’ have no military training at all. They are scientists waging a war of technology.
