Phase E — Engagement

Execute the countermeasure.

Objective

Execute the selected countermeasure chain against the target platform. Phase E is where intelligence becomes action. The exploit chain selected by Phase D is executed with the parameters, timing, and targeting data accumulated across Phases A through D.

Engagement Categories

Phase E executes techniques from four active categories. The specific technique depends on the Phase D decision output.

Corrupt the platform’s spatial awareness by feeding false navigation data.

Effects: redirect flight path, force altitude change to trigger failsafes, force speed mismatch to corrupt airspeed logic, deny navigation to trigger GPS-loss behavior.

Command Injection (Override)

Inject commands directly into the platform’s control channel.

Effects: force landing, force return to spoofed home, overwrite waypoints, disarm motors, force mode change.

Decision Manipulation (Fracture)

Manipulate conditions that feed the platform’s autonomous decision logic.

Effects: trigger failsafe thresholds, force unintended state transitions, exploit geofence boundaries, corrupt swarm coordination inputs.

Operational Disruption (Sever)

Disrupt the platform’s ability to sustain its SENSE → DECIDE → ACT loop.

Effects: exhaust battery via forced high-consumption states, deny communications to isolate the platform, desynchronize multi-platform timing.

Execution Sequence

For each countermeasure in the Phase D ranked list:

Confirm preconditions — target in range, signal conditions adequate, equipment configured
Obtain authorization — human operator confirms engagement
Execute — transmit the countermeasure
Observe — monitor target response via Specter (continuous passive collection)
Assess — did the target exhibit the expected state change within expected time-to-effect?
Escalate or disengage — if the first countermeasure fails, move to next in ranked list or disengage

Engagement Documentation

Every engagement produces data that feeds the database:

Data Point	Purpose
Technique executed	Which exploit chain
Parameters used	Exact configuration
Target response	Observed behavior change
Time to effect	Initiation to state change
Success / failure	Binary outcome
Environmental conditions	Range, weather, RF environment
Anomalies	Unexpected target behavior

This data updates exploit_chains and engagements tables, improving Phase D accuracy for future encounters with the same platform class.

Phase E Outputs

Output	Format	Feeds
Engagement outcome	Structured record	Database update
Target final state	Position, flight mode, status	Phase F post-engagement
Measured effectiveness	Updated success rates	Database
Engagement timeline	Timestamped log	After-action report