How does artificial intelligence and machine learning affect electronic warfare system effectiveness? How are EW capabilities changing with adversarial powers like China or with non-state actors in the Middle East? In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller answers these questions and more as he delves into some of the most common listener questions the show has received on everything EW. Ken also explores the role Congress plays in shaping the development and deployment of...

In this engaging episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller sits down with Erik Bamford, Branch Chief EW, Norwegian Armed Forces, and Member, AOC Board of Directors for International Region One., for an insightful conversation. Bamford delves into the growing friction surrounding standards—highlighting the tension between NATO’s push for uniformity and the private sector's competitive drive for proprietary innovation. This clash, he explains, has far-reaching implications, even in...

In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller is joined by returning guest Dustan Hellwig to tackle a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of electronic warfare: how the community—AOC members and stakeholders—discuss EMSO needs and effects within a unified mathematical context to consolidate the various and potentially conflicting uses of the spectrum. Ken and Dustan explore the importance of aligning terminology with a commander’s intent, with Dustan highlighting the role of...

In this episode of "From the Crow’s Nest," host Ken Miller sits down with Brian Clark, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at the Hudson Institute. Together, they delve into the heart of the Pentagon’s latest debates and innovative reforms.   Clark unveils his compelling "Iron Triangle" proposal—a strategic framework highlighting relevant capability, operational concepts, and scalable impact—as a beacon to guide the Department of Defense through a...

It’s summer! In this episode, we reach back into our archives to re-air a conversation between host, Ken Miller, and his guest, Dean Cheng, on “China’s Quest for Information Dominance,” which originally aired on April 26, 2023. Dean is a senior advisor to the China program at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He has written extensively on China’s military doctrine, the technological implications of its space program and “dual use” issues associated with China’s industrial and scientific...

In this exclusive episode of From the Crows’ Nest, available only to AOC members and subscribers, host Ken Miller welcomes back John Knowles, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED). Together, they explore a wide array of topics, such as the crucial lessons emerging from Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region. They also delve into defense industry trends observed at IMS Microwave Week in June and discuss significant electronic warfare provisions...

On this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller speaks with 17-year-old high school senior Jonathan Dorminy about his nationally-acclaimed project studying a frequency range between microwave and infrared, known as “the terahertz gap.” This gap is a range of the electromagnetic spectrum that has been barely utilized compared to the rest of the spectrum. Using this frequency band can be difficult because of limitations on how fast transistors can switch for generating signals....

In this exclusive AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined by Madison Arcangeli and Katy Nazaretova from Forza DC, a women-owned federal strategies and consulting firm in Washington, DC, to discuss the latest developments of the annual defense budget process on Capitol Hill. Specifically, they discuss the status of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the outlook for defense appropriations bills, and the crucial role the upcoming...

In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller sits down with USN Commander (Ret) R. Scott “Sherm” Oliver to discuss how the Department of Defense (DoD) culture and understanding of electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) has evolved over the past decade, especially since the release of the 2020 DOD EMS Superiority Strategy. They specifically discuss how DOD views the EMS as a maneuver space, the ongoing challenge of organizational change now that DOD has the right strategy and...

In this exclusive AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller welcomes back his esteemed friend and colleague, Col. Jeff Fischer, USAF (Ret.). The episode delves into recent developments in the War in Ukraine, particularly the strategic implications of F-16s arriving in Ukraine and their potential impact on air superiority in the conflict. Additionally, Jeff introduces his inspiring new charitable organization, Shelter to Service, which transforms shelter dogs...

In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller shares the highlights of several interviews he conducted last month during AOC Europe 2024 from Olso, Norway. He is also joined by AOC Senior Analyst Matt Thompson, who attended the Directed Energy Professional Society (DEPS) Annual S&T Conference in Colorado Springs. Ken and Matt discuss some of the funding and development challenges facing the Directed Energy (DE) programs and how the EMSO community can help operationalize DE...

In this episode of From the Crow's Nest, host Ken Miller talks to Chesapeake Technology International (CTI) Founder and CSO Dustin Hellwig. Dustin has over thirty years of experience in electronic warfare (EW), spectrum management, and CEMA environments. He specializes in the development of distributed, collaborative, and autonomous EW systems. He has significantly advanced EW models, simulations, and mission planning for various military platforms and operations. During their conversation,...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest coming to you from AOC Europe 2024 in Oslo, Norway, host Ken Miller is joined by three special guests: Lieutenant Colonel Erik Bamford, Branch Chief of EW, Norwegian Armed Forces; Journalist and author, Dr. Tom Withington; and Duncan McCrory from the Department of War Studies at King’s College, UK. Together they discuss alliances and collaboration in supporting multi-domain electromagnetic warfare operations.   These AOC...

What is an electromagnetic event and how could it wreak havoc on military forces and critical civilian infrastructure? Are we prepared to protect ourselves from such an event? Unfortunately, no. In this area,we are far behind the threat. There is exciting new research underway and progress is being made to develop a standard of protection thanks in large part to the efforts from organizations, such as the Electromagnetic Security Consortium (ESC). In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined once again by John Knowles, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED), and Col. Jeffrey Fischer, USAF (Ret). They discuss recent developments in the Ukraine War, considering the recent passage of aid by the U.S. Congress. They share their thoughts on the plan to send F-16s to Ukraine, the explosive growth of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in combat, and how electromagnetic...

In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller chats with Doug Thornton, the technical director of Battelle's National Security Business Unit, to learn about the role software-defined radios do – and could – play into the future of electronic warfare. Doug tells Ken that software-defined radios offer the promise of offering more flexibility and experimentation for warfighters – but limitations from increased complexity and dynamic range to security concerns, can affect performance...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined once again by John Knowles, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED) and Matt Thompson, AOC’s Senior Analyst to discuss current events and news on electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO). Together, they share their insights on Iran’s recent drone and missile attack against Israel and what lessons should the U.S. and its allies learn from the attack. They also discuss the...

In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller talks to Brian “Hinks” Hinkley, a retired Navy Captain and President of the Association of Old Crows.  The two talk about how far the world of EW has changed in recent years, including evidence that people are understanding how critical EW and EMSO is in combat situations around the world. Brian tells Ken that America faces a variety of EW-related challenges – from the threat of rogue nations and non-state actors gaining access to EW...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined once again by John Knowles, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance (JED) and Matt Thompson, AOC’s Senior Analyst to discuss current events and news on electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO). Together, they share their insights on recent developments in cognitive EW and the role of artificial intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), investment trends on unmanned aerial...

In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller talks to author Dr. Joseph Guerci about the evolution and outlook for cognitive electronic warfare systems. Dr. Guerci is an internationally recognized leader in research and development of next generation sensor and cognitive systems and has over 30 years of experience in government, industry and academia, including several years with DARPA. Ken asks Dr. Guerci about the relationship between artificial intelligence, deep learning and...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined from Toulouse, France, by Dr. Tom Withington and San Antonio, TX, by Matt Thompson, AOC’s Senior Analyst to discuss current events and news on electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) from literally around the world. Dr. Withington is the Editor, defense commentator, journalist, and military historian with Armada. Ken, Tom, and Matt discuss the increasing frequency of GPS jamming by Russia in...

 In this episode of From the Crow’s Nest, host Ken Miller and AOC senior analyst Matt Thompson host a panel of experts with the U.S. Air Force’s 55th Electronic Combat Group called Compass Call. Lt. Col. Jesse Palchick and 1st Lt. Colin Schulz discuss the plans to transition their fleet from the aging EC-130H to the EA-37B aircraft and describe the capability differences between the new and outgoing models. They note that the upcoming EA-37B model will be able to fly higher and faster than...

In this AOC member/subscriber-only episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller is joined by Madison Arcangeli and Katy Nazaretova from Forza DC to discuss the current state of Capitol Hill and the annual appropriations process. They cover a range of topics including keeping the government funded through FY 2024, the beginning of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the Ukraine War Supplemental, and the President’s upcoming State of the Union Address. It’s also Super Tuesday,...

In this episode of From the Crows’ Nest, host Ken Miller sits down with Dr. David Thirtyacre, Assistant Professor in the College of Aeronautics at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. David is the Chair and Chief Pilot for the Department of Flight and currently instructs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Flight Operations, Aerodynamics, Aircraft Performance, Unmanned Systems, Airborne Robotics, and Aviation and Aerospace Simulation Systems. He retired from the USAF with 27...