IED Countermeasures Jam Communications

Signal jammers used by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq to defeat radio-controlled IEDs are reported to be having a significant negative impact on the military's communication equipment. The jammers were developed by the Navy's Counter Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) program for Office of the Secretary of Defense's Joint IED Defeat Organization.

The Navy is now asking industry to help solve the communication problems posed by the CREW system by seeking alternative communication technologies. According to the request for information solicitation, the Navy is seeking for an interference mitigation system that weighs no more than five pounds and that can protect a wide range of communications systems, including UHF, VHF and vehicle radios as well as tactical satellite systems, and Global Positioning System receivers.