It is known that enemy jamming and electronic warfare can hinder targeting capabilities, but this new technology aims to solve that problem.

The Air Force is taking new steps to bring a promising new technology for in-flight weapons networks to war. The system is described as a computerized autonomous collaborative data exchange function between weapons on their way to the target.

The service's so-called Golden Horde technology develops high-tech seekers into weapons such as small-diameter bombs to thwart enemy attempts, sabotage GPS targets, and exchange trajectory and battlefield data between weapons headed to the target. In an Air Force article, the technology is described as a "software-defined radio for communication between weapons and processors preloaded with cooperative algorithms."

In flight, co-targeting allows the weapon to use its advanced viewfinder to identify enemy interference and pass on tactical details to the other weapon so it can adjust course as needed. A recent test by the Golden Horde of small-diameter collaborative bombs that exchange data in flight showed promising results and areas for improvement. The Air Force tested the ability of air-delivered bombs to share target-sensitive data with each other in flight to customize attack specifications, locate military signal jammer, and optimize the speed and accuracy of attack operations.

Now, the Air Force Research Laboratory is focusing its development efforts on the service's acquisition units to build on its progress in developing the innovations needed to make weapons operational.

Addressing the threat of jamming and deception in military operations