RF-based Geolocation I/Q Data Rate Enhancement: SHIFTER

Real-time precision geolocation of COMINT signals of interest is a top priority in the GWOT. As communication signals and standards such as 3GSM, WCDMA, and CDMA2000 proliferate at unprecedented rates, the number of emitters is scaling dramatically. In the GWOT, almost any signal could be a potential signal of interest. The use of this kind of commercial technology and related technologies by extremists continues to expand dramatically. Clearly, the signals of interest target set is growing at a high rate. The Navy and the larger Intelligence Community is aggressively deploying fully interoperable net-centric systems for precision COMINT geolocation to help meet this challenge. It is reasonable to expect that sensor density will increase by a factor of 10 across the IC in the next five years. Consequently, current geo-processing techniques will soon become overwhelmed with signal data, will not be able to effectively manage high sensor counts and will have only a limited capability to simultaneously prosecute the growing class of high value targets. Addressing these challenges is the focus of this SBIR proposal, called SHIFTER. SHIFTER will “shift” the geolocation processing algorithms and processing hardware and software into the “high gear” needed to improve efficiency and scalability.