Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) plays a vital role in modern defense and electronic warfare (EW), enabling the detection, analysis, and geolocation of hostile electromagnetic emissions. As threats become more dynamic and signal environments more congested, the need for real-time, edge-level processing has become critical. With advancements in hardware technologies—such as Intel® Xeon® CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, and FPGAs—today’s ELINT systems have become faster, more accurate, and capable of real-time signal processing at the edge.

Intel® Xeon® CPUs manage system orchestration and high-throughput data processing, while NVIDIA GPUs accelerate AI and machine learning algorithms used for signal classification and threat identification. FPGAs provide ultra-low-latency processing for tasks such as pulse detection and PDW extraction. This combination enables ELINT systems to efficiently handle complex, high-density signal environments, ensuring timely and accurate intelligence delivery across air, land, sea, and space domains. This white paper explores how these cutting-edge technologies are transforming ELINT capabilities, with real-world use cases that highlight their operational impact.

 

ELINT plays a pivotal role in military and intelligence operations. Below are key scenarios where ELINT, powered by modern hardware, provides strategic advantages:

	Detecting and Avoiding Enemy Radar Systems Challenge: Stealth aircraft and reconnaissance drones must evade detection by enemy radar. Solution: ELINT systems scan for radar emissions, classify threats, and provide real-time avoidance routes. Hardware Role: FPGAs perform ultra-low-latency spectrum scanning. NVIDIA GPUs accelerate radar signature recognition using deep learning. Xeon® CPUs manage mission-critical decision-making.
	Mapping Enemy Air Defenses (SAM Sites) Challenge: Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems pose a lethal threat to aircraft. Solution: ELINT sensors detect and geolocate radar emissions, creating a real-time threat map. Hardware Role: FPGAs preprocess raw signal data for rapid analysis. GPUs compute triangulation (TDOA) for precise emitter location. Xeon® CPUs integrate multi-sensor data for battlefield awareness.
	Supporting Stealth Aircraft Operations Challenge: Stealth platforms must remain undetected while identifying hostile radars. Solution: ELINT systems onboard stealth aircraft classify radar threats and recommend countermeasures. Hardware Role: FPGAs handle high-speed signal interception. GPUs run AI models for adaptive jamming strategies. Xeon® CPUs coordinate with onboard EW systems.
	Developing Countermeasures (Jamming & Spoofing) Challenge: Adversaries employ advanced radar systems with frequency agility. Solution: ELINT-driven Electronic Attack (EA) systems generate deceptive signals to mislead enemy sensors. Hardware Role: FPGAs generate real-time jamming waveforms. GPUs optimize countermeasure algorithms. Xeon® CPUs manage system-wide coordination.

From initial signal detection to final intelligence delivery, each stage of the ELINT process is supported by a combination of high-performance computing components—FPGAs for real-time signal interception, CPUs for control and coordination, and GPUs for advanced analytics and AI-based classification. This section outlines a typical ELINT workflow, highlighting how each hardware element contributes to turning raw RF emissions into actionable insights for mission planning and threat response.

Modern ELINT systems demand high-speed processing, real-time analysis, and seamless data fusion across multiple domains. To meet these requirements, cutting-edge platforms leverage a heterogeneous hardware architecture that combines the strengths of CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs. Each component plays a distinct role in delivering performance, flexibility, and reliability in mission-critical environments. We breaks down how Intel® Xeon® CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, and FPGAs collectively power the next generation of ELINT operations from system orchestration to AI-driven signal classification and ultra-low-latency RF processing.

 

Intel^® Xeon^® CPUs: The Orchestrator

• Role: Manages system control, data routing, and multi-sensor fusion.
• Strengths: High core count, reliability, and seamless integration with GPUs/FPGAs.

 

NVIDIA GPUs: The AI & Signal Processing Powerhouse

• Role: Accelerates deep learning for signal classification, FFTs, and geolocation.

• Strengths: Massive parallel processing for real-time analytics

 

FPGAs: The Real-Time Signal Interception Experts

• Role: Handles ultra-fast RF scanning, digitization, and preprocessing.
• Strengths: Low latency, reconfigurability, and high throughput.

Using an Intel^® Xeon^® D processor in combination with an NVIDIA GPU significantly optimizes the performance of an ELINT system because each component complements the other’s strengths for processing large volumes of real-time signal data.

*TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival): Determines the emitter’s location by analyzing time delays between signal arrivals at multiple spatially separated sensors.
*AoA (Angle of Arrival): Identifies signal direction using antenna arrays and estimates the source position by triangulating angles from multiple observation points.

The Intel^® Xeon^® D provides a strong foundation for deterministic, multitask control and system orchestration, while the NVIDIA GPU delivers the raw computational power needed for high-speed signal analysis and machine learning. Together, they enable faster, more accurate and more automated ELINT operations, critical for both defense and intelligence missions.

 Intel® Xeon® D: Edge-Class, Multi-Core CPU for Real-Time Tasks

NVIDIA GPU: Parallel Signal Analysis and Machine Learning

The Intel^® Xeon^® 6 SoC (System on Chip) is exceptionally well-suited for ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) systems, especially those operating at the edge (airborne, naval, ground-mobile). Here's how its hardware features directly support ELINT capabilities: 

Intel’s advanced instruction sets and accelerators like AMX, IAX, DSA, DLB, and AVX-512 can significantly enhance ELINT performance by accelerating compute-heavy signal processing and system-level data management. Here's how each supports ELINT tasks:

Intel^® Xeon^® 6 SoC Instruction Set vs. ELINT Benefit

Modern ELINT systems harness the combined strengths of Intel^® Xeon^® CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, and FPGAs to enable real-time signal processing and actionable intelligence. From radar threat detection to stealth and countermeasure support, these hardware advancements ensure ELINT systems can adapt rapidly to evolving threats and remain a critical pillar of electronic warfare. Xeon® processors handle system control, high-throughput data, and multithreaded workloads; GPUs accelerate AI-based tasks such as pattern recognition and spectral analysis; and FPGAs deliver ultra-low-latency, deterministic processing for time-critical functions like pulse descriptor word (PDW) extraction and radar signal decoding. Together, they ensure ELINT platforms to quickly detect, classify, and respond to complex signal environments across the electromagnetic spectrum.

As electronic threats continue to grow in complexity, ELINT hardware must evolve to keep pace—driving innovation in defense technology. At 7STARLAKE, we are advancing next-generation ELINT platforms by leveraging the combined strengths of Intel® Xeon® SoCs, GPU acceleration, and FPGA integration. With ongoing breakthroughs in AI, 5G, and edge computing, and as Intel® pushes the boundaries of Xeon® architecture, we remain committed to embedding these advancements into our rugged server solutions. These advancements empower ELINT systems with accelerated processing, robust security, and enhanced mission agility, ensuring mission readiness in the dynamic landscape of modern electronic warfare.

Download the whitepaper [here]