The publication is reproduced in full below:
FUTURE OF RADAR
______
HON. TOM COLE
of oklahoma
in the house of representatives
Monday, November 1, 2021
Mr. COLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight important research being conducted by the University of Oklahoma, which is advancing cutting-edge developments in the areas of Air Defense Artillery, air dominance, ocean surveillance, ISR, EW, counter-UAS, GMTI, and a host of others. The developments I refer to center most directly in the budding area of all-digital radar.
New capabilities associated with all-digital radar present an extraordinary opportunity for the United States to better utilize important data for national security purposes, be it weather data, flight control data, projectile data, targeting data or any other type, to our tactical and operational advantage--land or sea.
Madam Speaker, in the area of distributed radar and 360-degree, all-
digital, phased array radars, there are extraordinary leap-ahead capabilities which cannot be ignored. By bringing to bear advances in digital signal processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to the data streams that this new technology provides, the defense of the United States can be significantly advanced, providing leapfrog capabilities which vastly exceed those of our legacy radars.
Over time, all of the services have been engaged in developing capabilities in this area, albeit at a rate that does not always achieve the leap-ahead and transformational requirements that we now require strategically as we focus on defense from potential near-peer adversaries. While we currently maintain many advantages, technology advances quickly around the globe. It is critical we maintain our edge, and, in doing so, obtain the generational leap-ahead needed to secure it.
Madam Speaker, the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC) in Norman, Oklahoma, has conducted very significant research in this area. A component of the University of Oklahoma's research enterprise, the ARRC has generated important technological advancements to each major service component in the area of 360-degree phased array radars. In fact, to help further this contribution, I am supporting a National Defense Authorization Act proposal this year, initiated in the Senate, which encourages the Army Research Lab to collaborate with academia in the development of distributed radars and multi-function sensors. This is an area where I believe there will be plenty of bipartisan and bicameral support.
Madam Speaker, Army Research Lab in many ways has stepped forward for the Army in this area. I am confident that, as the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Futures Command, and the ASA/ALT examine what can be accomplished in this area, they will quickly realize the high relevance of this technology to counter-UAS, Air Defense Artillery, and their EW enterprise. It has the potential to be one of the key transformational technologies that would allow the Army to leverage ground forces more effectively and to provide better defensive capabilities against airborne threats.
As the Department of Defense proceeds to develop technology in this area, we already see interest from the private sector. However, if we do not develop a joint approach to the development of this technology, it may result in it being stove-piped into systems without ever realizing the full extent of its capabilities. Furthermore, inability or unwillingness to coordinate research in this area could tax current supply chains and threaten the rate of development we are capable of in this area.
Additionally, application of this technology is not limited solely to the defense enterprise. Air traffic control, weather prediction and analysis, 5G frequency scanning dependent communications, and remote sensing could all benefit; NOAA is already engaged in related research. Therefore, over time, it may become beneficial to create a Joint Interagency Working Group on the development of distributed and all digital radar.
Madam Speaker, the future is bright for the development of these technologies in the United States. It is an area in which we can thrive. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to advance our common interests and our national defense by supporting the development of these technologies.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 191
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up