Electronic warfare (EW) systems can be configured for a variety of different missions and used for a host of different subsystems.
But despite this incredible sophistication and diversity, there are three main capabilities common to most electronic warfare systems:
- Sensing the environment (receiver sensor)
- Analyzing the environment (signal analysis)
- Responding to the environment (technique generation and high power transmission)
Most military analysts agree that electronic warfare is the future of conflict.
Without access to the EW spectrum, most of the tools of modern warfare wouldn’t work, from radios to radars to GPS.
Truth be told, from the Pentagon to the battlefield, electronic warfare has become a very big deal.
It seems like every day there are new tools, machines and applications that come into creation specifically to aid in the domain of electronic battles.
For example, the U.S. Air Force recently received its first new Compass Call electronic warfare plane.
The Compass Call will conduct a variety of electronic warfare missions to jam enemy signals, including communications, radar and navigation systems. This is expected to include suppressing enemy air defenses by blocking their ability to transmit information between weapon systems and command-and-control networks.
The U.S. Army has a new EW weapon of its own called the Terrestrial Layer System-Brigade Combat Team (TLS-BCT) that is expected to combine cyber, jamming and signals intelligence capabilities.
TLS-BCT is meant to provide smaller Army formations a means to understand their surroundings and disrupt networks and advanced electronics wielded by China, Russia and others. Control of the electromagnetic spectrum is critical in warfare, as it is used for weapons guidance, friendly communications, deception and enemy suppression.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has also made its way into electronic warfare.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Introduction to Electronic Warfare, a 3-day course that covers the basics of Electronic Warfare (EW) foundation designed for analysts, engineers, electrical engineers, project managers, electronic warfare technical professionals.
Introduction to Electronic Warfare provides the foundation for understanding the basic concepts underlying electronic warfare (EW). This course uses a practical building-block approach to facilitate student comprehension of the essential subject matter associated with the combat applications of EW.
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.