Cognitive Electronic Warfare: An Artificial Intelligence Approach
Karen Zita Haigh & Julia Andrusenko
In sports car racing, there’s excitement, speed and adrenaline as you see on TV, but there’s another interesting side to the sport you don’t know: logistics. Races happen worldwide, and teams need to arrive entirely self-sufficient with a tremendous amount of equipment. Trucks and trailers carry not just cars, parts and fuel, but also tents, tools, clipboards…there are even snacks and umbrellas. Everything needed for the event packs up tight and moves around the world with relative ease.
Cognitive Electronic Warfare: An Artificial Intelligence Approach by Haigh and Andrusenko had many parallels to this concept. I was not reading a book; I was unpacking an operation. The race car is there, as the core material on cognitive warfare is abundant, but the umbrella is there too. The authors cover everything at a high level, moving fluidly between topics like data management, software architecture and computer hardware.
Incredibly, neither depth nor breadth feel sacrificed in this pursuit. The chapter introducing AI programming was more informative and accurate than some entire books on the topic. There are two main drivers for this success. First, the book is algorithm-centric. The underlying concepts are taught at a high level to be understood, as opposed to the specific ins and outs to be memorized. There are also more figures and charts than equations; if desired, users can write code and derive equations on their own time. Second, parallels are often leveraged — electronic attack and protection, for example, are traditionally separate topics, but they are successfully discussed as two ends of the same spectrum.
However, just like the race trailer, unpacking everything will take some effort. I found myself re-reading pages and analyzing figures. The time was well spent, but don’t judge the moderate thickness and expect to finish this book in one sitting. It is best read with patience and the understanding that things will eventually just “click.” Overall, Cognitive Electronic Warfare: An Artificial Intelligence Approach is a clear and concise book, and something I would recommend as a primer or a desk reference for anyone looking to grow their skills in either electronic warfare or AI. And the best part? Unlike unloading a race trailer on a hot summer day, you can read it in an air-conditioned office.
Review by Brian Rautio
Copyright: 2021
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781630818111
To order this book, contact:
Artech House
us.artechhouse.com
