The phrase “I don’t have a signal” is something that we all say with disturbing regularity. It is annoying as it means we can’t receive email or messages on our smartphones, can’t make a call, and can’t access many of our apps. For warfighters, not having a signal can compromise a mission’s success and even put lives at risk.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and the Army Research Laboratory Pathfinder program has sought to address the issue with the Advanced Dynamic Spectrum Reconnaissance (ADSR). It stands as an example of the success of rapidly developing an advanced solution to real-world challenges in the field. It was also the result of partnership with the defense innovation nonprofit Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CM12), and was one of the first Pathfinder projects executed via a partnership with Vanderbilt University.
The ADSR was then refined through testing with soldiers from the 101st Airborne at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany, beginning in September 2023, following a request from the 7th Army Training Company. It further be employed in the training of NATO and NATO-partner units at the site.
“The technologies we leveraged for the ADSR effort would likely never have seen the light of day were it not for Pathfinder,” said Adam Jay Harrison, Vanderbilt Distinguished Entrepreneur in Residence and member of the ADSR team. “It wasn’t until Pathfinder surfaced the Army’s specific operational need and provided a mechanism for soldier engagement that we discovered how our technology could be used to deliver a compelling solution.”
Artificial Intelligence Powered
ADSR is an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled system that could allow the U.S. Army’s wireless communications networks to sense and avoid enemy jamming and reduce radio frequency RF emissions that could allow an enemy to target Army forces.
The technology was initially developed by a team of researchers at Vanderbilt in connection with two challenge competitions sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the technology has been continuously refined since 2021 through a series of operational experiments with soldiers from the 101st at Fort Campbell, Tennessee, while experiments were also conducted at the Smardan Training Area in eastern Romania and the CMI2 Adaptive Experimentation Facility in central West Virginia.
It has already earned praise from lawmakers.
“Our service men and women represent the very best of America, and we must ensure that they are equipped with the greatest tools and technologies that enhance their capabilities to defeat any enemy,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). “That’s why I have consistently supported the Pathfinder program, which leverages research at great universities like Vanderbilt and the University of Tennessee to solve some of the Army’s toughest problems. This partnership is vital as we work to maintain U.S. military dominance over our adversaries.”
Powering The Electronic Warfare Soldier
The new ADSR technology was recently employed by Electronic Warfare Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division during the Combined Resolve exercise, a recurring U.S. Army Europe and Africa exercise series held at 7th Army Training Command and Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Bavaria. Combined Resolve is conducted to evaluate and assess a brigade’s ability to conduct operations in a complex, multi-domain battlespace – and to enhance interoperability and readiness with allies and partners.
“Electronic warfare units within [Brigade Combat Teams] BCTs are always looking for an edge when targeting the enemy,” said 1st Lt. Brenden Shutt, a cyber warfare officer with the 3rd ID. “Sensing capabilities that provide a real-time understanding of the spectrum drive our efforts to identify the enemy’s electromagnetic signature so we can rapidly deliver effects on the battlefield. We rely on the continuous innovation of our tactics and technology to maintain dominance in electronic warfare.”
The April 2023 testing that was conducted by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in West Virginia – part of CMI2’s Driving Innovation in Realistic Training Days – saw the warfigthers engage in realistic, scenario-based training while testing emerging technologies. The real-world trial underscored the value of the Pathfinder program, and projects like ADSR, in bringing cutting-edge academic research into practical military applications.
“Pathfinder continues to be an exciting partnership between the Army, partner universities, and the State of Tennessee,” Senator Bill Hagerty suggested. “With this project, the Army gains state-of-the-art technological capabilities requested by the front-line warfighters, university students get exposure to real-world problems that can be used to shape future research, and Tennessee benefits from the creation of high-paying technology jobs associated with Pathfinder-Air Assault related projects.
