How the U.S. Military is Revamping its Offensive Electronic Warfare Arsenal

Electronic warfare (EW) is the silent battlefield of the future, where the U.S. military and its adversaries will vie for control and dominance of the electromagnetic spectrum. EW involves the use of electromagnetic energy, such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, and lasers, to attack or defend against enemy electronic systems, such as radars, communications, sensors, and weapons. EW can be divided into two main categories: offensive and defensive. Offensive EW involves actively disrupting or destroying enemy electronic systems. This can be achieved by jamming enemy radar signals, interfering with communication networks, or launching cyber attacks to disable critical infrastructure. Defensive EW involves protecting one’s own electronic systems from enemy attacks. This can be achieved by using electronic countermeasures, such as decoys, chaff, flares, or stealth, to evade or confuse enemy sensors, or by using electronic counter-countermeasures, such as encryption, frequency hopping, or anti-jamming, to resist enemy interference.

The U.S. military has a long and proud history of developing and employing EW capabilities, dating back to World War II, when it used radar jamming and deception techniques to deceive the German air defenses during the bombing campaigns. During the Cold War, the U.S. military invested heavily in EW to counter the Soviet Union’s formidable integrated air defense system, which relied on a network of radars, missiles, and fighters to protect its airspace. The U.S. military developed a range of specialized EW platforms, such as the EA-6B Prowler, the EC-130H Compass Call, and the EF-111A Raven, to provide standoff and escort jamming, electronic attack, and suppression of enemy air defenses. The U.S. military also integrated EW capabilities into its fighter and bomber aircraft, such as the F-4G Wild Weasel, the F-16CJ, and the B-52H, to enhance their survivability and lethality.

However, in the past two decades, the U.S. military’s focus and resources shifted to counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, which required less EW support. As a result, the U.S. military’s EW capabilities were neglected or reduced, while potential adversaries, such as China and Russia, advanced their EW capabilities and developed anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategies, which aim to prevent or limit the U.S. military’s access and freedom of movement in contested regions, such as the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Europe. China and Russia have deployed sophisticated EW systems, such as jammers, spoofers, and cyber weapons, to disrupt or deny the U.S. military’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is essential for its command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), navigation, targeting, and precision strike capabilities.

Recognizing the growing EW threat and the need to regain the electromagnetic edge, the U.S. military has embarked on a series of initiatives to rebuild and modernize its offensive EW capabilities. In this article, we will highlight some of the most advanced and secretive EW programs that are expected to enter service in the next few years, as well as the progress and challenges of other EW programs. We will also explain the U.S. military’s new approach to EW, which is to create a modular and adaptable architecture that can be rapidly and affordably upgraded, as well as to leverage the latent EW capabilities of already fielded systems.

Blasphemy: The Air Force’s Mysterious Mission Pod

One of the most intriguing and mysterious EW programs is Blasphemy, a mission pod developed by the Air Force’s Big Safari project office, which specializes in classified EW and communications upgrades for aircraft. Blasphemy was demonstrated on an Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) last summer, but its functions and features are unknown. According to a 2017 U.S. government contract document, Blasphemy is a product of the Air Force’s Big Safari project office, which specializes in secret EW and communications upgrades for aircraft. Blasphemy is likely to be a modular and scalable system that can be fitted to various platforms, such as UAS, manned aircraft, or even satellites, to provide a range of EW capabilities, such as jamming, spoofing, deception, or cyber effects. Blasphemy could also be integrated with other EW systems, such as the Army’s Multi-Function Electronic Warfare-Air Large (MFEW-AL) or the Navy’s Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare (AOEW), to create a networked and distributed EW architecture that can operate across multiple domains and platforms.

MFEW-AL: The Army’s Multi-Function EW Pod

Another EW program that is expected to enter service soon is the MFEW-AL, a pod-mounted system developed by Lockheed Martin for the Army, which will provide multi-function EW capabilities for air and ground platforms. MFEW-AL will be integrated with the Army’s Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS) and the Networked Electronic Warfare Remotely Operated (NERO) payload on the MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS, to create a layered and persistent EW capability that can support the Army’s multi-domain operations. MFEW-AL will be able to perform a variety of EW functions, such as jamming, spoofing, deception, and cyber effects, against a range of targets, such as radars, communications, sensors, and weapons. MFEW-AL will also be able to collect and exploit enemy electronic signals, providing valuable intelligence and situational awareness to the Army. MFEW-AL is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2024.

AOEW: The Navy’s Standoff Jammer

The Navy is also developing a new EW system, called the AOEW, which will provide standoff jamming and electronic attack capabilities for the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. AOEW is a towed system developed by Lockheed Martin, which will extend the range and effectiveness of the Navy’s EW capabilities, complementing the existing EA-18G Growler and EA-6B Prowler aircraft, which are limited by their range and endurance. AOEW will be able to jam and deceive enemy radars and communications, as well as provide ISR and targeting support to the Navy. AOEW is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2023.

EC-37B Compass Call: The Air Force’s New Airborne Electronic Attack Platform

The Air Force is also upgrading its airborne electronic attack capabilities, by replacing the aging EC-130H Compass Call aircraft with the new EC-37B Compass Call. The EC-37B is a modified Gulfstream G550 business jet, which will have improved performance, survivability, and flexibility. The EC-37B will carry the same mission system as the EC-130H, which is capable of jamming and disrupting enemy command and control, communications, and ISR systems. However, the EC-37B will also have a new low-band jammer, which will target early-warning and acquisition radars, such as those used by China and Russia in their A2/AD strategies. The EC-37B is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2024.

NGJ: The Navy’s Next Generation Jammer

The Navy is also modernizing its jamming capabilities, by replacing the legacy ALQ-99 jammer on the EA-18G Growler with the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ). The NGJ is a family of pod-mounted systems that will provide enhanced jamming and electronic attack capabilities against a wide range of threats, such as surface-to-air and air-to-air radars, communications, and data-link systems. The NGJ will have three variants: NGJ-Mid Band (NGJ-MB), which will target surface-to-air and air-to-air radars; NGJ-Low Band (NGJ-LB), which will target early-warning and acquisition radars; and NGJ-High Band (NGJ-HB), which will target communication and data-link systems. The NGJ-MB is expected to achieve initial operational capability in 2022, while the NGJ-LB and NGJ-HB are still in development.

Prototyping Program: The Pentagon’s Research and Engineering Branch’s EW Initiative

The Pentagon’s research and engineering branch is also pursuing a new EW initiative, which aims to modify existing radars and communication antennas to perform EW functions, such as jamming and spoofing, using artificial intelligence. The prototyping program involves seven companies, such as Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems, and covers various domains, such as air, land, sea, and space. The idea is to use software-defined radios and adaptive algorithms to enable existing apertures to switch between different modes, such as sensing, transmitting, and jamming, depending on the operational context and the threat environment. This would allow the U.S. military to leverage the latent EW capabilities of already fielded systems, without requiring new hardware or platforms.

The U.S. Military’s New Approach to EW

The U.S. military’s new approach to EW also involves creating a more integrated and networked EW architecture, which can operate across multiple domains and platforms, and coordinate with other warfighting functions, such as cyber, space, and information operations. The U.S. military aims to achieve a seamless and synchronized EW capability, which can provide a comprehensive and holistic view of the electromagnetic spectrum, and enable rapid and agile EW effects delivery. The U.S. military also seeks to enhance its EW interoperability and compatibility with its allies and partners, who share the same EW challenges and objectives. The U.S. military’s new approach to EW is guided by several key documents and strategies, such as the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (JEMSO) doctrine, the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy.

Conclusion

The U.S. military is revamping its offensive EW arsenal, to regain and maintain its electromagnetic edge in the face of growing EW threats and challenges from potential adversaries, such as China and Russia. The U.S. military is developing and deploying a range of advanced and secretive EW programs, such as Blasphemy, MFEW-AL, AOEW, EC-37B, NGJ, and the prototyping program, which will provide multi-function, modular, and adaptable EW capabilities for air, land, sea, and space platforms. The U.S. military is also creating a more integrated and networked EW architecture, which will operate across multiple domains and platforms, and coordinate with other warfighting functions, such as cyber, space, and information operations. The U.S. military’s new approach to EW is to create a seamless and synchronized EW capability, which can provide a comprehensive and holistic view of the electromagnetic spectrum, and enable rapid and agile EW effects delivery. The U.S. military’s efforts to revamp its offensive EW arsenal are not without challenges and risks, but also present opportunities and advantages, for its technical, operational, and strategic posture in the EW domain.