Radio Disruption of Electronic Systems

Vadum will develop a software-defined electronic warfare (EW) payload to perform Radio Disruption of Electronic Systems (RADES) on small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The innovative Vadum solution integrates advanced signal detection, RF disruption, and direction-finding algorithms with an agile software-defined radio (SDR) and custom hardware in a single, multi-function EW capability not currently available to the military at an organic, tactical level. For disruption, RADES combines beamsteering with novel techniques that target inherent RF hardware vulnerabilities of electronic systems, reducing the required size, weight, and power (SWaP) relative to traditional standoff jamming approaches. Mounted on a small UAS (Class 1 or 2), the flexible Vadum RADES provides a complete, rapid-response, mobile electronic attack countermeasure to disrupt enemy UAS and deny enemy mission capability within the protected airspace. In Phase-II, Vadum will build the RADES payload and demonstrate multi-function EW capability in-flight against commercial small UAS. To construct the Phase-II system, Vadum will leverage its existing compact SDR platform that was used to successfully demonstrate EA capability in-flight during Phase-I. Vadum is partnered with North Carolina State University (NCSU) to model the underlying phenomenology of electronics disruption. Vadum and NCSU will investigate critical frequencies that serve as specific hardware vulnerabilities that may be exploited for novel UAS disruption. The combined phenomenology study and hardware validation effort in Phase-II will mature the RADES concept to TRL-5 in preparation for future capability maturation and validation.