Researchers ask industry for signal processing and artificial intelligence (AI) for signals intelligence

Summary points:

• The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is asking industry for digital signal processing technologies to detect and analyze high-priority radio frequency (RF) signals for intelligence and cyber operations.
• The Blue Tactical Requirements for Operational Ubiquitous Technology (TROUT) project aims to develop rapid, real-time prototypes for extracting, analyzing, and geolocating analog and digital signals of interest.
• Researchers are seeking new signal processing techniques that capitalize on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and software-defined radios for edge processing and militry decision-making.

ROME, N.Y. – U.S. Air Force researchers are asking industry to develop enabling technologies for digital signal processing that will scan through the radio frequency (RF) spectrum to detect and locate high-priority signals of interest.

Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., issued a sources-sought notice (RFI-RIKD-26-R-B002) last week for the Blue Tactical Requirements for Operational Ubiquitous Technology (TROUT) project.

The project focuses on developing rapidly fieldable real-time signal processing prototypes that can extract the contents of RF transmissions automatically and provide time-critical alerts and information on collected signals.

Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance

The idea is to develop capabilities for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and offensive cyber operations. Signal-processing prototypes should be able to detect, collect, derive and geolocate current and emerging signals of interest by scanning analog and digital signals, and analyzing their contents.

Air Force researchers are asking industry for new open-architecture technologies such as RF-Next to improve channel analysis on specific signal types, and to create open-architecture signals intelligence software-defined radio (SDR) using industry standards.

Prototype systems should be able to find signals of interest, perform sub-processing routines, and analyze the signal contents for the presence of identifiable information.

Information for decision-makers

Researchers are asking for digital signal processing techniques to provide decision-makers with relevant information in near real-time, and enable edge processing against emerging communications targets. Software-defined radio will promote modularity, and new algorithms will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to add autonomy to crewed and uncrewed sensors.

SIGINT research will have three broad technology areas: information extraction, signal processing, and automation. Companies interested should email 10-page capability statements no later than 17 Sept. 2025 to the Air Force's Jacquelyn Cavano at [email protected].

Email questions or concerns to the Air Force's Shelley Dormio at [email protected]. More information is online at https://sam.gov/opp/f7122d022745404fa2af60639978c086/view.