Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in modern technology, and defense electronics are no exception. In an industry where commercial automation has far outpaced that of the military, the Department of Defense (DoD) has found itself in a position that is neck and neck with the pace of adversaries. Base-patrolling robot dogs and algorithms designed to understand complex combat scenarios are currently in development, but that's just the beginning. In the debut episode of On the Radar, Emma Helfrich and John McHale of Military Embedded Systems discuss the current state of military AI and machine learning (ML), how these advancements are being financed, and the obstacles that stand in innovation's way. Also covered is the concept of defining the ethics of ML-powered systems and DoD research and development funding for AI.

The ARINC 818 digital video interface and protocol standard is used throughout commercial and military cockpits for avionics display applications. As military video systems continue to increase in complexity in and out of the cockpit, for example in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensor systems, the demand for ARINC 818 solutions is growing. In this podcast, Tim Keller, Chief Operations Officer at Great River Technology discusses defines what ARINC 818 is, discusses common misconceptions about the standard, and describes its growing use in sensor applications and in training and simulation applications. Keller also details new ARINC 818 training for engineers and explores how the standard could potentially work within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture Technical Standard.

Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are pervasive throughout defense electronics platforms. Electronic footprints continue to shrink so much that traditional small form factors like 3U VPX or 3U CompactPCI are considered too big. So, it's not surprising that the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) is looking at new form factors, such as Short VPX. In this podcast, Jay Grandin, Vice President of Product Development at Annapolis Micro Systems discusses demand for small form factors, how Short VPX can meet that demand and how it fits into the Open VPX ecosystem. Grandin also explores what military applications would be best suited for the new standard and how it could potentially work within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, of which version 1.0 is expected to be completed this year.

Ultra-wide band radar systems are generating unprecedented amounts of data and require storage systems that can handle the high bandwidth and what can seem like information overload. In this podcast, Chris Tojeira, Recording Systems Director at Pentek discusses the Department of Defense's current ultrawideband radar requirements, how to capture signal data, PCI Express, FPGA advantages, and latency issues. He also takes a look at the future for signal recording and shares an old Commodore 64 story.  

Counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems are pivotal players on the electromagnetic spectrum. In this podcast, Emma Helfrich, guest host and associate editor with Military Embedded Systems, talks with Ryan Hurt, vice president of business development at Liteye Systems, to discuss the C-UAV systems that equip the U.S. Army. Helfrich and Hurt cover the Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities, like radar and sensors, that power C-UAV systems and further the idea that innovation is dependent on data processing and intelligent algorithms to reduce the sensor-to-shooter timeline and protect the Army from aerial threats.

Modern battlefields present many complex challenges for Army soldiers, one of which is how to operate in GPS-denied environment. In this podcast, George Hsu, CTO, founder, and board member of PNI Sensor Corp., discusses the challenges in designing sensor solutions for warfighters in these environments like sensor stabilization for moving soldiers and power efficiencies as wel as how PNI leverages artificial intelligence (AI) for their sensor designs. He also describes the perfect magnetic sensor — that will provide longitude and latitude in any environment.  

Open architectures will make tech refreshes such as the latest avionics modernization (Technology Refresh 3 (TR3)) on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and other platforms much more efficient and cost effective in the long run. In the latest McHale Report Podcast, Bryant Henson, vice president and general manager for Harris Corporation?s Electronic Systems Avionics Business Unit details how through the open architecture approach, the F-35's next-gen Integrated Core Processor (ICP) is targeted to generate a 75 percent reduction in unit cost compared to the current system, as well as a 25-time increase in computing power to support planned capability enhancements, greater software stability, higher reliability, and increased diagnostics that result in lower sustainment costs.