The book provides a much-needed review of the “Turning Point” in the evolution of airborne threat warning systems from analog to digital beginning in the early 1970s and the combat conditions of the Vietnam War that brought about the evolution. The military operational requirement for reprogrammability of threat characteristics is described and detailed. Illustrations of several types of radar warning receiver (RWR) processors are shown. Basic software structures and functions are reviewed and top-level flow charts and diagrams of critical algorithms and circuits of the original systems are discussed. The ‘electro-political’ environment is treated also in the retelling of the origins of the developmental impetus, as well as the technical approach and resource applications that resulted in the new family of warning system processors.

The global spread of science and technology expertise and the growing commercial access to advanced technologies with possible military application are creating potentially serious threats to the technological superiority underpinning U.S. military strength. Key to dealing with this situation is the ability of the U.S. intelligence community to be able to provide adequate and effective warning of evolving, critical technologies. To assist in performing this task, the Technology Warning Division of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake a study examining technology warning issues. This report provides the first part of that study. It presents an assessment of critical, evolving technologies; postulates ways potential adversaries could disrupt these technologies; and provides indicators for the intelligence community to determine if such methods are under development. The intention of this report is to establish the foundation for a long-term relationship with the technology warning community to support the examination of technology warning issues.