The United States Air Force, in a sweeping effort to enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, has initiated multiple ambitious programs seeking advanced technologies that promise to redefine the battlefield. These endeavors are not only aimed at strengthening the Air Force but are designed to benefit the Space Force, Army, and Navy as well.
At the vanguard of this technological surge is the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Science and Technology Applied RF Systems (STARS) program, which carries a budget estimated at nearly $95 million over a six-year period. The STARS initiative is an open call for proposals for up to three indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts. Vendors interested in participating have been given a deadline until June 12 to respond.
The STARS program’s objectives are ambitious and multifaceted. Its purpose is to “develop advanced RF [radio frequency] capabilities which will provide sensing for all-weather day-night ISR using non-traditional radar modes for persistent surveillance across permissive, contested, and highly contested boundaries in multiple environments (e.g., air, land, sea, space and cyber space),” according to the AFRL solicitation.
The need for advanced ISR sensors is underscored by the service’s increasing focus on tracking moving targets—a skill that is critical for maintaining battlefield awareness and superiority. This requirement extends beyond the capabilities of current systems like the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) and E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
Simultaneously, the AFRL is also shepherding the Sensing, Learning, Autonomy, and Knowledge Engineering (SLAKE) program to refine Air Force sensing capabilities through diverse sensor processing results. This program emphasizes the development of sensor product representations and the incorporation of sensing uncertainties within novel algorithms for resource management, task allocation, and information fusion.
Adding to these initiatives, the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has laid out seven operational imperatives for the service, one of which specifically targets effective ground and air moving target indication. An open request for information (RFI) seeks to gather innovative ways to “achieve moving target engagement on sea surface and ground moving targets by closing or shortening the Long Range Kill Chain (LRKC) in a highly contested and operationally limited environment.”
Each of these efforts, including a significant contract awarded to Descartes Labs for real-time analytics and developing moving target indication data, represents steps toward a future where ISR activities are not merely supportive functions but core elements of strategic and tactical missions. These programs collectively signify the Air Force’s intent to maintain its technological edge by adapting to the rapidly evolving nature of warfare, where information superiority is as crucial as firepower.
The AFRL has specified that the STARS program will not only seek new technologies but also look to leverage past and ongoing advancements. This integrated approach across multiple domains and services underlines the complexity and comprehensiveness of the effort.
In an era where technological advances continue to accelerate and the global threat landscape evolves, the Air Force’s pursuit of next-generation ISR capabilities reflects an acknowledgment of the critical importance of maintaining situational awareness and operational dominance. As new systems and algorithms come online, the Air Force stands ready to confront the challenges of the future with the most sophisticated tools at its disposal.
Relevant articles:
– AFRL seeks ‘advanced’ ISR sensors, including for moving targets, Breaking Defense
– U.S. Air Force Seeks Industry Help on Defeating Extensive Ground Moving Targets, Defense Daily
– AFRL announces SLAKE program, Intelligence Community News
– US Air Force wants help seeing moving targets in its sensor data, Defense News