ROME, N.Y. — The U.S. Navy has awarded ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC a phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract valued at $240,000 to develop a new type of autonomous capability for uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) applications. 

ANDRO’s Marconi-Rosenblatt Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) Innovation Lab team in Rome, led by Jithin Jagannath, will perform work on the Robust Autonomy for NeGation of Enemy Radar, or RANGER for short.

The team will apply novel AI/ML techniquest for enhancing human-machine teaming based on the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) model ANDRO first developed for cooperative UAS scenarios to combat next-generation radar systems and adversarial radar networks.

RANGER’s goal is to provide superior battlefield agility in MUM-T scenarios for increased mission efficiency and survivability by adapting negation techniques on the fly in response to enemy actions.

“The RANGER technology sits at the intersection of ANDRO’s Marconi-Rosenblatt Lab expertise in UAS autonomy, machine learning-enabled signal intelligence (SIGINT), and cooperative control and decision-making strategies,” Jagannath said in a press release. “The AI/ML lab team sees RANGER as the next-generation autonomous MUM-T planning and coordination system that will be engineered for operations in dynamic and austere application environments.”

The Phase I work sets the stage for potential second-phase, multi-million-dollar research for additional development, experimentation, and flight testing for future transition to the Navy. The ANDRO lab team includes engineers Sean Furman and Tyler Gwin who will deploy RANGER on UAS hardware as the capability matures.

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

“RANGER is a next step in a strategic plan to expand ANDRO’s research portfolio and footprint in 2023 and beyond, including the research activities of the Marconi-Rosenblatt AI/ML Innovation Lab,” he said.

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