Pentagon Fast-Tracks EW Weapons – Is the US Behind With EW?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

Surrounded by enemy fire, trapped in a valley between mountains and unable to use certain sensors, drones, fire-control and radar applications, a forward-positioned Army infantry unit suddenly finds itself with no radio, sensors, electronics… or GPS. Their communications are jammed, disabled and rendered useless, making them isolated and vulnerable to lethal air and ground attacks. Does this outnumbered infantry unit have any options with which to avoid destruction? How can they get air support or armored vehicle reinforcement?

This very realistic possible threat scenario, increasingly becoming more ominous with modern technical advances, is precisely why the Army, Navy, Air Force are moving quickly to modernize its arsenal of electronic weapons — and further integrate them with cyber systems. With an increasingly crowded and complex electromagnetic spectrum, contemporary electronic warfare threats are naturally extremely serious, as they can operate on a greater number of frequencies, attack with greater range and strength and fire from less detectable locations.

What if a carrier strike group were suddenly overwhelmed by an incoming salvo of anti-ship and ballistic missiles too numerous for ship-fired interceptors to counter in time? This kind of scenario is a key reason the Navy continues to fast-track EW-driven ship defenses capable of finding and “jamming” the guidance systems and RF sensing of approaching weapons so as to interfere, jam and “throw them” off course. 

Years ago, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert famously made the statement that “whoever dominates the electromagnetic spectrum” will prevail in future conflict. Certainly the ability to control, monitor or jam enemy communications, radar, weapons guidance systems and drone datalinks and RF signals could prove decisive in any modern warfare engagement.

The ability to “blind” an enemy, overwhelm or disable air defenses and radar and deny an adversary the ability to communicate or target could determine victory in war. With this in mind, the US military services have for years now been fast-tracking multiple EW technologies.

EW programs are varied and far-reaching, spanning from frequency-jamming counter IED EW developed years ago in Iraq to more recent ship-integrated EW called SEWIP, for Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program. SEWIP is designed to jam guidance systems of incoming enemy anti-ship missiles, blind enemy RF communications and datalinks connecting drones to helicopters and ships. The latest increment, called Block 3 SEWIP, is increasingly able to deconflict the spectrum, jam systems at longer ranges and operate on a greater number of frequencies. Aircraft systems such as the now airborne Next-Generation Jammer pod are able to jam multiple frequencies at one time, and fighter jets such as the F-35 now operate with increasingly sophisticated EW systems.

High Tech EW