ROME, N.Y. — The U.S. Navy has awarded ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with a base value of $1.3 million, plus additional funded options, to develop a new type of autonomous radio–frequency signal–intelligence (RF-SIGINT) capability for uncrewed air-system (UAS) platforms or aerial drones called RANGER — Robust Autonomy for NeGation of Enemy Radar.

ANDRO researchers will perform the work in the company’s Marconi-Rosenblatt Artificial Intelligence Innovation Lab, led by Jithin Jagannath, lab director and chief scientist for the technology sector,  the Rome–based company announced.

The award builds on an earlier Navy investment of almost $1.5 million for ANDRO’s D-MARVEL system, a complement to RANGER, for a total funding amount approaching $3 million. RANGER and D-MARVEL both provide for next-generation machine learning-based UAS platforms that can autonomously perform a variety of tasks and conduct missions in diverse environments with little to no human intervention.

The ANDRO AI Lab team will apply novel machine-learning (ML) techniques for enhancing radar detection and classification and will integrate the low cost, small-form-factor payload with small UAS host platforms. The goal, according to Jagannath, is to bolster Manned-UnManned Teaming (MUM-T) to provide battlefield agility and improve platform survivability.

“The RANGER technology sits at the intersection of ANDRO’s Marconi-Rosenblatt Lab expertise in UAS autonomy and efficient machine learning-enabled signal intelligence,” Jagannath said in a release. “The AI lab team sees RANGER as the next-generation autonomous MUM-T planning and coordination system that will be engineered for operation in dynamic and austere application environments.”

ANDRO engineers Sean Furman and Tyler Gwin, with guidance from AI Lab Associate Director Anu Jagannath, will spearhead the design, integration, and flight testing of RANGER on UAS hardware.

Andrew Drozd, ANDRO president, anticipates growth in business stemming from the work to incorporate the solution into advanced UAS platforms during the next phases of advanced research and development.

“RANGER is at the core of ANDRO’s strategic plan to continue to expand the company’s research portfolio and footprint, including the research activities of the Marconi-Rosenblatt AI Innovation Lab,” he said.

Founded in 1994, ANDRO focuses on scientific research, development, and application of advanced computer software in the domains of radio frequency spectrum exploitation, secure wireless communications, cognitive radios, advanced radar data fusion, and sensor resource management.