Network Technology

The U.S. military’s investments in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have proven invaluable for missions from intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to tactical strike. Most of the current systems, however, require constant control by a dedicated pilot and sensor operator as well as a large number of analysts, all via telemetry. These requirements severely limit the scalability and cost-effectiveness of UAS operations and pose operational challenges in dynamic, long-distance engagements with highly mobile targets in contested electromagnetic environments.

DARPA’s Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program seeks to help the U.S. military’s unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) conduct dynamic, long-distance engagements of highly mobile ground and maritime targets in denied or contested electromagnetic airspace, all while reducing required communication bandwidth and cognitive burden on human supervisors.

System F6 seeks to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of a satellite architecture wherein the functionality of a traditional “monolithic” spacecraft is delivered by a cluster of wirelessly-interconnected modules capable of sharing their resources and utilizing resources found elsewhere in the cluster. Such architecture enhances the adaptability and survivability of space systems, while shortening development timelines and reducing the barrier-to-entry for participation in the national security space industry.

Dr. Reza Ghanadan joined DARPA in 2013 as a program manager in the Defense Sciences Office. He has interests in data analytics, autonomy, machine learning and artificial intelligence in information and cyber-physical systems. At DARPA, he has been investigating the mathematical foundations and applications of these technologies to complex science and engineering problems, ranging from precision genomics and neuroscience, to robotics and human-machine collaboration.

Mr. Trung Tran joined DARPA as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office in October 2015. Tran earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the US Air Force Academy and a Master of Business Administration degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. While in the Air Force, he was stationed at Fort Meade and Hanscom Air Force Base working at the Air Intelligence Agency. In those roles, he developed cryptographic chips and command and control networks, which focused on reducing the amount of time between the acquisition of sensor data and the use of that data by shooters or, more generally, weapons systems. He received four medals in recognition of his work in these areas.