Talking Army SDRs, MOSA, and electronic warfare with Ultra I&C’s Clif Basnight at AUSA

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October 22, 2025

WASHINGTON – AUSA ANNUAL MEETING 2025. Electronic warfare (EW) modernization, software-defined radios (SDRs), and modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategies are all trends within U.S. Army technology development and procurement. During the AUSA Annual Meeting this month in Washington, I sat down with Clif Basnight, Vice President, Strategic Technologies, Ultra I&C, to discuss these trends. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow.

McHALE: Another year, another AUSA. What do you see being the standout technology trend this week at the show?

BASNIGHT: The standout discussion has been the need for SDRs everywhere. Whether the conversation starts with next-gen vehicles, robots, UASs [uncrewed aerial systems], next-gen [command and control], [integrated battle command system] modernization, or autonomous [Multiple Launch Rocket System], it ends with how the addition of SDRs with wide frequency coverage and multiple waveforms complete the solution. Those capabilities are essential for the connectivity and survivability required for the current and future fight. It underscores how foundational hyperconnectivity will be across every domain of warfare. Ultra I&C is investing in and productizing technologies across the tactical wireless spectrum (tropo, satcom, high-capacity line-of-sight) to ensure the U.S. and its coalition allies maintain information dominance.

McHALE: In an earlier podcast discussion, we talked about your Sentient Radio concept. Will you be featuring that at AUSA? How does that fit into Army comms requirements?

BASNIGHT: Yes, especially in our smaller-form-factor Orion family. Edge technology needs to be intelligent enough to detect when it is being attacked or degraded and to have layered capabilities – not just to survive those attacks but to defeat them.

McHALE: Ultra I&C also supplies electronic warfare solutions. What design trends are driving EW system requirements today?

BASNIGHT: Space is a major driver of innovation and new concepts. Over the past seven months we’ve seen counter-space capabilities emerge as a real trend. We can adapt many of the satcom systems we deliver to project energy against different constellations. In short, what we do for communications increasingly enables us to operate in the counter-space and counter-C2 space domains, which is a rapidly developing and increasingly interesting area.

 

McHALE: How have modular open systems approach (MOSA) strategies like the SOSA [Sensor Open Standards Architecture] Technical Standard impacted EW designs? What benefits do they bring?

BASNIGHT: MOSA is accelerating convergence between hardware and software so that portfolio-based acquisition can buy a capability for one purpose and then adapt it in the field for another mission. That flexibility lets soldiers do more with less.

 

McHALE: Looking forward, five to ten years down the road, what technology or procurement change will be a game-changer for electronic warfare systems?

BASNIGHT: Portfolio-based acquisition will be the game-changer. For years, soldiers have wanted comms systems that include the resources needed for electronic attack or electronic support so platforms could dual-use those capabilities. Programmatic buying lanes and acquisition rules often prevented that, even when the technology was available. Portfolio-based buying could make those dual-use capabilities practical in the field. Time will tell.