--- title: "SOCOM grants contract for new jammer-proof BlackWave radio system" description: "SOCOM radio tech is evolving with new threats on the battlefield. BlackWave radio appears to be the next evolution in communication warfare. " date: "2024-02-28" modified: "2024-02-28" authors: - name: "Joshua Skovlund" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/joshua-skovlund/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/socom-blackwave-jammer-proof-radio/" categories: - "News" tags: - "drone" - "russian invasion" - "ukraine" - "war" - "warfare" --- # SOCOM grants contract for new jammer-proof BlackWave radio system ![special tactics air force radio]() *Special Tactics operators assigned to the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord communicate with each other via radio in order to manage a runway during a humanitarian aid and disaster relief scenario, Nov. 30, 2021, at Moses Lake, Wash. (Tech. Sgt. Carly Kavish/U.S. Air Force).* PDW, a defense contracting company dedicated to drone technology, was awarded a $6.9 million contract from the U.S. Special Operations Forces Acquisitions, Technology, and Logistics office [to deliver BlackWave](), a next-generation radio system designed to function in congested and contested radio frequency environments. The war in Ukraine has shown what the modern battlefield looks like, and the U.S. military is taking notes. Small unmanned drones have wreaked havoc on entrenched battlefields, and radio wave jammers are causing technological failures in critical systems. [**Subscribe to Task & Purpose**]() **today. Get the latest military news and culture in your inbox daily.** According to PDW, BlackWave is a secure digital link that can function in jammed and congested radio frequency environments. It passed the testing and challenges of the Joint Vulnerability Assessment Branch, [called the Cyber Vulnerability Assessment,]() which is required for the BlackWave to be fielded by American forces. “We believe BlackWave will be a game changer that contributes to a new era in radio development for American defense and small robotics,” said Trevor Smith, PDW’s CSO, in a statement provided to Task and Purpose. Small drones on kamikaze missions have been a major concern since Russia invaded Ukraine. That’s led to a race to combat that threat using drone guns that use focused radio waves that jam a wide array of frequencies. The tech is being used on both sides, often making the difference between life and death for troops on the ground. As the brutal war has trudged into its second year, Ukraine and Russia are both working toward solutions to make their drone warfare invincible to any sort of jamming. According to EurAsian Times, the Russians [have acquired that capability](). Though America isn’t involved in direct combat in Ukraine, the U.S. military has been learning from the conflict and implementing training and now joins the jammer-proof drone and communications technology race. ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **Afghanistan’s ‘**[**Angel of Death**]()**’ is retiring from Air Force special ops** - **Drill sergeant shoots** [**first perfect score**]() **at Army marksman course** - **National Guard asked to deploy to suburban Boston** [**high school**]() - **Space Force** [**cancels**]() **classified military communications satellite project** - **Navy commissions ship named for** [**Medal of Honor recipient**]() ## Author Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Task & Purpose and a prior U.S. Army forward observer. He has been covering the military, veterans, and first responders for over three years, reporting on assignment from Ukraine during the opening salvo of the Russian invasion, multinational military exercises in Germany, and during the 2020 civil unrest in Minneapolis. His previous bylines include *Coffee or Die Magazine* and *Outdoor Life*. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [Twitter]()