Signal Processing for Interference-Resilient Underlay Communication Links (SPIRAL)

A key technical challenge in tactical communications is operating effectively within a congested and contested Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) environment. Communication systems often face significant co-channel interference which can exceed the desired signal levels significantly. Tactical communication systems must operate reliably in the face of adverse interference from other users, including powerful radar, jamming, and other types of Electronic Warfare (EW). Traditional counter measures include using spread-spectrum and high-redundancy error control coding, but these dramatically reduce the transmission rate in bits per second per Hz relative to the unspread/uncoded rate attainable without interference. There is a critical need for innovative solutions that can suppress interference using advanced signal processing techniques, enhancing the system’s ability to sustain high-rate communications under severe interference. To address this critical need, we propose to develop Signal Processing for Interference-Resilient Underlay Communication Links (SPIRAL) that achieves high levels of interference suppression to support underlay wireless communications for tactical networks, while sustaining a capacity that is significantly higher than baseline schemes.