The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has granted BAE Systems' FAST Labs™ research and development division a contract worth $14 million for the Massive Cross Correlation (MAX) program. Under this contract, BAE Systems will spearhead the development of cutting-edge technology designed to facilitate the implementation of advanced signal processing and computation on a newly defined category of smaller military platforms.

Signal processing stands as a crucial element within vital Department of Defense (DoD) technologies like sensing, imaging, and communication systems. Correlators serve as pivotal tools in comparing, contrasting, and processing signals. Present-day digital correlators are large and power-intensive units, akin to the size of a briefcase. BAE Systems aims to revolutionize this landscape by creating analog correlators that deliver equal or improved performance while significantly shrinking the system's size to that of a hockey puck.

Bryan Choi, Technology Development Director at BAE Systems' FAST Labs, highlighted the transformative potential of smaller and more efficient systems. These innovations not only enhance aspects like size, weight, power, and costs but also enable comprehensive signal processing closer to the edge or on platforms operating within restricted airspace. The breakthrough analog correlator technology promises to elevate decision-making capabilities, facilitate deployment of mission-critical technology on compact platforms, and establish an entirely new category of systems.

As an integral part of the program, BAE Systems is committed to delivering a highly efficient analog correlator with exceptional dynamic range and wide bandwidth. This advancement will open doors to innovative functionalities, including synthetic aperture radar image classification and formation, automatic target recognition, passive coherent location, and resilient communication capabilities in small-sized platforms.

The ongoing efforts within this program, situated within BAE Systems' broader sensor technologies portfolio, are being realized through collaborative endeavors, including a partnership with the University of Minnesota as a subcontractor.

Source:prnewswire.com