Electromagnetic Spectrum Innovation – Fifth Dimension of Warfare – iHLS

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In recent years, the electromagnetic spectrum field has gained momentum all over the world. From a technical-operational field whose availability at the battlefield was never a constraint to a vital resource supporting the accomplishment of tactical and systemic goals in the modern battlefield.

As a result, most military forces in the world link the management of the operational spectrum with the operational management and planning of the electronic intelligence, electronic warfare and Cyber over RF systems.

Currently, “spectrum warfare” signifies more than anything a new warfare dimension that requires deep consideration from the aspects of force design, force operation, and the capability of rapid adaptation to operational situations where the spectrum is not available as the planner or the commander in the field have expected. The spectrum is, in fact, the fifth dimension of warfare.

The extensive challenges of the spectrum’s operational management stem from global insights creating the stress between high demand and low supply:

Innovative capabilities are required for the management of the military spectrum, taking into account the increasing trend, through the following steps:

Due to the complexity of the spectrum, a holistic response can only be based on a multi-layered solution, where all the layers are well-coordinated and synergetic.

The first layer consists of estimating the spectral situation status, describing the extent of the disturbances experienced by each of the spectrum dependent systems as a function of the frequency. 

The second layer is the real-time spectrum management, including the automatic allocation of frequencies, polarizations, waveforms, and so forth for the various RF systems. The spectrum management is based on optimization processes vis a vis the spectral situation, the prediction of the spectral situation within a certain future timeframe, as well as the detailed modeling of the RF systems’ behavior and their influence of the environment.

The third layer consists of the planning and managing all the operational missions during warfare. Management is based on optimization algorithms and advanced AI tools. The process must be performed taking into account mutual interference, as many of the missions use spectrum dependent systems.

At the same time, in order to simplify the challenge and increase robustness, RF systems themselves must be upgraded in such a way that decreases their sensitivity to disturbances and their adverse effects on other systems. 

Omnisys addresses all aspects of this multi-layered solution, through BRO systems, collaborations with industries, and more. According to Gil Zwirn, the company’s CTO, “in the future, the importance of the spectrum challenges will increase dramatically. More and more systems and users compete over the spectrum, which does not become any wider. Therefore, it is imperative to provide a response to the challenges ahead, and there is no alternative to agile technologies that adapt themselves to the dynamic arena, such as those developed by Omnisys.”

Omnisys is an Israeli company offering advanced, groundbreaking technologies in the optimization and AI fields, bridging these gaps in order to help use the spectral resources in the most effective way. The company develops and supplies in Israel and globally innovative optimization products and systems for military and HLS missions. Its BRO products (Battle Resource optimization systems) enable the planning, real-time management, and end-to-end debriefing of military missions. These products have been designed for integrative air, naval and ground missions. Among its business product lines are solutions for intelligence gathering, spectrum management, air defense, active defense, border security and electronic warfare. “Omnisys offers sophisticated systems based on the operational understanding of the IDF’s military tactics,” said Ithiel Har-Chen, a system engineer and an Operation Requirements Analyst in the company. With regards to the IDF’s operation arenas – the challenges are even more extreme. In fact, the IDF is probably operating within the world’s most challenging electromagnetic arena. According to Ithiel, “in contrast to the US, whose military operations are always overseas, the IDF operates in its indigenous territory, meaning that systems of civilian elements, military forces, militias, superpowers, NATO forces, UN forces – all of them operate in impossible geographic proximity, and there are hardly any comprehensive solutions to this problem around the world.”

During the last three years, the company has been granted several tenders and projects of the Israel Ministry of Defense and the IDF, for the management and optimization of spectrum resources. Leading world and Israeli military organizations, defense establishments, and defense industries are among its customers.