DEFENDING T&E SPECTRUM THROUGH AUTOMATED FREQUENCY MANAGEMENT METRICS CALCULATION

Abstract

Because of its economic value, there has been growing pressure to sell off spectrum currently allocated for defense purposes. These pressures come at a time when Department of Defense (DoD) spectrum needs are growing at an exponential pace, thus prompting heightened efforts to clearly demonstrate both the need and the responsible, efficient use of electromagnetic spectrum. In response, the DoD has developed a baseline set of standard metrics to measure spectrum utilization, demand, efficiency, and operational effectiveness. The focus has now shifted toward developing the automated tools to calculate, plot, and display these metrics. The purpose of this paper is to describe progress toward developing a Spectrum Management Metrics Toolkit (SMMT) to fill this need and its potential role in helping to analyze and defend Test and Evaluation (T&E) spectrum usage and needs.