Modern Electromagnetic Warfare

- Overview

Electromagnetic warfare (EW) is a military action that uses electromagnetic energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack an enemy. EW uses signals such as radio, infrared, or radar to sense, protect, and communicate. EW can also disrupt, deny, and degrade an adversary's ability to use these signals. 

The basic concept of EW is to exploit the enemy's electromagnetic emissions to provide intelligence on their order of battle, intentions, and capabilities. EW can also use countermeasures to deny effective use of communications and weapons systems. 

1. EW systems have three main capabilities: 

• Sensing the environment
• Analyzing the environment
• Responding to the environment

2. Key Activities (The "Big Three" of EW):

• Electronic Support (ES): Sensing and identifying enemy emissions (radar, comms) for intelligence.
• Electronic Attack (EA): Using energy (jamming, spoofing) to disrupt enemy systems (e.g., radar, GPS, comms).
• Electronic Protection (EP): Safeguarding friendly forces from enemy EW, including training, procedures, and system design.

3. Modern Focus & Domains: 

• Domains: Applicable from Air, Sea, Land, Space, using manned/unmanned systems.
• Modernization: Includes integrating AI, cloud tools, and connecting with cyber operations (CEMA) for better command, control, and cyber resilience.
• Directed Energy: Use of lasers or microwaves for potential destructive or disruptive effects.

4. Why it Matters:

• Modern militaries are entirely dependent on the EM spectrum for everything from communication to navigation.
• EW provides critical advantages, allowing forces to "see" and "act" before the enemy is even aware, crucial in contemporary conflict.

5. Examples of EW include: 

• Flares
• Chaff
• Low-observable technologies
• Towed decoys
• Protection jammers
• DE infrared (IR) countermeasures

- Three Subcategories of Electromagnetic Warfare

Electronic warfare (EW) stands for the ability to sense, protect and communicate using the electromagnetic spectrum (signals such as radio, infrared or radar). At the same time, electronic warfare can disrupt, deny, and degrade an adversary's ability to use these signals.

This advanced functionality is generally divided into three subcategories:

• Electronic Support (ES): Sensing of the electromagnetic spectrum. ES is the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) function of electromagnetic warfare. This part of the mission is to sense, intercept, identify, and track electromagnetic energy sources to identify threats, collect targeting (geolocation) and signals intelligence data, and inform future operational planning.
• Electronic protection (EP): Preventing a receiver from being jammed or deceived. EP is a form of threat suppression that uses a range of cyber and multispectral radio frequency/infrared (RF/IR) tools to prevent electronic warfare receivers from being jammed or spoofed by an adversary's electronic attack (EA). It also prevents "overflow" jamming signals from nearby friendly forces from accidentally interrupting the signal.
• Electronic Attack (EA): Disrupt, deny, degrade, destroy, or deceive. Analyzing threats and calculating responses. This portion of the mission uses EMS (Electromagnetic Spectrum) signals, directed energy pulses, or combined network effects to disrupt, deny, degrade, deceive, and otherwise neutralize enemy hostile electromagnetic actions. These attacks are typically carried out by advanced electronic warfare jets or helicopter platforms, but can also be carried out by unmanned vehicles, ships, ground vehicles, etc.

While many technology companies claim electromagnetic spectrum expertise, successful development, deployment, and maintenance of advanced, continuously updated electronic warfare technologies on time requires state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and global ES, EP, and EA mission support capabilities. This has become more true than ever with the proliferation of DoD performance requirements in recent years.

- Cutting-Edge, Next-Generation Technology

Threats are rapidly evolving, and adversaries are attacking in unprecedented ways. With wide bandwidth, near-instantaneous detection, and industry-leading signal processing, modern electronic warfare consists of 4 important components. Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Support (ES), Electronic Protection (EP), and Mission Support current and emerging threats. 

In most military disciplines, the terms "attack," "support," and "protect" are often platform-centric. What is unique about electronic warfare in current American doctrine is that these terms apply to electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) access—rather than viewing them from a platform-centric perspective. 

Emerging research and development addresses some of the most critical defense and intelligence problems in advanced electronics, autonomy, cyber, electronic warfare, sensors and signal processing in the United States and globally. Each of these technologies is leveraged in distributed electronic warfare capabilities, as are anti-jamming/electronic protection, multispectral electronic warfare, cognitive electronic warfare, electronic warfare demonstration systems, and more.