The US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) has awarded Pacific Defense and its affiliate Perceptronics Solutions a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract to continue development of Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA)-aligned electronic warfare mission systems.
The companies said the work will focus on maturing and operationalising artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms intended to improve airborne radio-frequency situational awareness in contested electromagnetic spectrum environments, within an Open Mission Systems (OMS)-compliant SOSA architecture.
According to the announcement, the program builds on earlier SOSA AI/ML electronic warfare demonstrations and will further develop emitter-tracking algorithms, integrate electronic attack techniques, and validate performance through an airborne demonstration on representative US Air Force platforms.
Perceptronics Solutions General Manager Elan Freedy said the program is intended to speed the adoption of advanced AI in operational units. Pacific Defense Vice President of EW, SIGINT and Autonomy Frank Pietryka said the work aligns with the Air Force’s move toward open-architecture systems for detecting and identifying electromagnetic emissions.
The contract includes a 12-month period of performance. The companies said primary work will be conducted at Pacific Defense and Perceptronics facilities in Nashua, New Hampshire; El Segundo, California; and Fairfax, Virginia.
