The Association of Old Crows (AOC) can usually be counted upon to host a worthwhile gathering in the interest of advancing electronic intelligence (ELINT), signal intelligence (SIGINT), and electronic-warfare (EW) technologies, and the 47th Annual International Symposium & Exhibition did not disappoint. Held last week in the Atlanta Hilton (Atlanta, GA), the event combines technical presentations, workshops, and a somewhat impromptu exhibition hall that fosters as much socializing as it does business transactions.
A one-day fly through the AOC exhibition hall revealed a diversified blend of components, subsystems, software, and test equipment for designing and evaluating a wide range of military electronic systems ranging from avionics suites to surveillance packages. Not ironically, some of the same concerns impacting commercial communicationsthe availability of bandwidthare also at the forefront of defense electronics systems as they grapple for increased bandwidth for tactical radios, video links, data links, and the combination of voice, data, and video needed by the growing number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in operation. While actually freeing bandwidth from existing applications offers one solution, the use of advanced modulation formats can also help and will be reported in future issues of Defense Electronics.