Dr. Lo Monte of TTM Technologies

Abstract:

The world of radar technology is evolving rapidly, and it’s fascinating to see how many innovations from the Department of Defense have transitioned into commercial products that benefit humanity. We've seen remarkable transformations: from Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESAs) powering the connectivity revolution of Starlink, to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites being utilized commercially by companies like Maxar and Cappella Space, and even air defense systems adapting to counter drone threats at the border, arenas, airports or cruises.

One of the latest advancements is air-to-air radar (ATAR) technology. Traditionally, these radars have been the backbone of tactical fighter aircraft, especially for fire control. With the rise of unmanned aerial mobility (UAM), advanced air mobility (AAM), and autonomous air cargo, air-to-air surveillance has never been more crucial. We're witnessing two exciting applications emerging: First, ATAR are becoming essential tools for tracking non-cooperative intruders, enabling automated sense-and-avoid maneuvers. Second, there’s an increasing need to mitigate risks posed by small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) during critical phases like takeoff and landing, whether those risks are intentional or unintentional. To be truly effective, ATARs must be designed with Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWAP-C) considerations, while also taking into account the inherent range, altitude, and kinematic limitations.

In this lecture, we'll delve into the exciting development of ATAR for Sense and Avoid (SAA) systems, especially from the vital perspective of safety certification. We will discuss how FAA and RTCA are planning to standardize and certify ATARs for SAA. We'll explore the pressing challenges that still need research and development. We'll wrap up by discussing how the same frameworks and methodologies can be repurposed to tackle Airborne Counter-UAS (C-UAS) issues. This session is perfect for radar, RF, and avionics engineers eager to deepen their knowledge in this untapped market segment. Join us for an engaging discussion on the future of radar technology and its transformative potential.

Biography:

Lorenzo Lo Monte, PhD, Chief Scientist

Dr. Lo Monte has experience in Radar, RF, DSP, and EW systems design and prototyping, from small companies, consulting, academia, research institutions, to large defense contractors and government agencies worldwide. He serves as Chief Scientist at TTM Technologies, a top-40 defense corporation specializing in ISR, with the role of translating research innovations into commercial products. Before that, he was a Professor at the University of Dayton and the Executive Director of the Mumma Radar Laboratory. Dr. Lo Monte has published over 70 peer-reviewed journal papers, conference proceedings, book chapters, and patents.

Throughout his career, he gained experience in radar systems prototyping from HF to W Band, including AESAs, fully digital arrays, automotive/FMCW radars, health radars, ASW/ASuW, AEW, multistatic and MIMO radars, SAR/ISAR, Tomography, GPR, DAA/ABSAA, passive sensing and geolocation, LO/CLO, RCS, counter IED/EFP/UAS, BMD target discrimination, resonance and nonlinear exploitation, EA/EP/ES, AMTI/GMTI/MMTI/DMTI, CCA and MUM-T, MCA/ATR, clutter modeling, antenna/microwave design and measurements, instrumentation control, computational EM, inverse scattering, Digital and Statistical Signal Processing, Adaptive/Systolic Array Processing, STAP, MIL-STD/NTIA/RTCA compliance, PCB, packaging, MxFE, SysML/DoDAF and MBSE.  

Dr. Lo Monte is highly active in the IEEE community: he was the General Chair for IEEE RadarConf’22, and serves in the AESS Board of Governors as the VP for Members. He held the VP role for Education (AESS) and VP for Industry (Region 1). Dr. Lo Monte was also a Technical Editor of the IEEE Sensors Journal for many years. Dr. Lo Monte is also an AESS Distinguished Lecturer and an approved AESS Short Course Instructor. He taught many short courses in radar, EW, and RF worldwide, including at AFRL, NASIC, AFLCMC, MIT, Fraunhofer Institute, DSTG Australia, Singapore DoD, as well as underrepresented sections such as Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, and Bolivia.

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