Introduction to Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare is any strategic use of the electromagnetic spectrum, or tactics related to the use of the electromagnetic spectrum, against an enemy in a military conflict.
Electronic warfare includes all actions in the entire electromagnetic spectrum to intercept, analyze, manipulate, or suppress the enemy’s use of the spectrum as well as to protect friendly use of the spectrum from a similar attack by an enemy.
Using the tactics of electronic warfare, we can potentially render useless the systems and infrastructure that make up the cyber warfare capabilities of our opponents without landing a single physical blow.
Electronic Warfare (EW) systems refer to the technologies and tactics used to detect, deceive, and defend against electronic threats.
Electronic Warfare can be divided into three major categories:
- Electronic Defence
- Electronic Self Protection
- Electronic Attack
- Mission Support
Electronic Defence:
This is the ability of the military to fend off electronic attacks by an adversary on its assets, personnel, radars, and communication lines. As mentioned, electronic attacks can have a catastrophic impact on how well the military operates.
This Marks another crucial area of electronic warfare since personnel and facilities can become extremely exposed to an enemy’s successful electronic attack.
One popular approach to electronic defense is the employment of spread spectrum devices. The application of emission control, stealth technology, and restricted frequencies are other instances of electronic defense.
Electronic Self-Protection:
Electronic Self Protection can be considered to be similar to electronic defense. In basic it is a set of countermeasures designed to shield aircraft from enemy weapon fire. One such countermeasure is the deployment of flares to defend aircraft from Infrared (IR) missiles. In times of conflict, military aircraft, and ships are among the main targets for anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
It is important for militaries to protect their assets and are continuously upgrading their assets to thwart any attack on their ships and aircraft.
Electronic Attack:
Electronic Attack is the capability of a military to launch attacks on the opponent to disrupt, deny, destroy, or deceive their electronic infrastructure.
It can be accomplished by jamming the enemy’s communication lines with specialized aircraft like F/A-18 Super Hornets and Germany Air Force’s EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack aircraft.
The US Navy has a separate Next-Gen Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) program to keep it up-to-date in the Electronic Warfare domain.
Mission Support:
Mission Support assures that ES, EP, and EA all have the resources they need to deliver, including operational analysis that measures strengths and weaknesses so adjustments are made as needed, mission planning and management tools, equipment test systems and maintenance aids, and more. Not providing Mission Support undercuts ES, EP, and EA performance, which is unacceptable.
Practices in Electronic Warfare:
The most commonly practiced types of electronic warfare are jamming which falls under the category of electronic countermeasures (ECM), and eavesdropping on enemy communications, which is known as signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering.
The purpose of jamming is to limit an enemy’s ability to exchange information by overriding radio transmissions or by sending signals to prevent radar detection or convey false information.
A counterpart to SIGINT gathering is known as electronic support measures (ESM) to gain intelligence about the enemy. The information gained from electronic support measures may be used as the basis for ECM or ECCM, as well as for threat recognition, avoidance, targeting, and homing.
Importance of Electronic Systems:
To detect, analyze, and track possible threats, Electronic Warfare (EW) is at the very least helpful in controlling the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum.
This gives situational awareness, which is necessary for a nation and its allies to plan offensive, defensive, and diplomatic measures at all levels before conflicts arise.
More advanced EW can also intercept, identify, and decode the data of adversaries. Even directed energy can be projected by it to impede hostile operations. This alters the battlespace and provides the opportunity to support mission success and survivability at every level, stop some armed conflicts from starting, and/or lessen the severity and scope of existing hostilities.
Usage of Electronic Warfare:
Electronic Warfare (EW) systems and support are in active, ongoing use by military and intelligence organizations of most modern, industrialized nations worldwide, either directly or through their allies.
This also applies to offensive capabilities and actions. This is especially true for continuous threat detection, identification, tracking, and other defensive objectives.
The use of EW systems for offensive campaigns is more recent and has largely been the purview of countries with more advanced electronic capabilities, but as systems’ underlying technologies have been adopted more broadly, their costs have fallen, making them more accessible to smaller countries and non-state actors.
Electronic warfare future advancements:
Technological advances expected to soon be incorporated into electronic warfare tools include more AI. AI algorithms can swiftly sift through this data to identify patterns, anomalies, and potential threats that might elude human operators. AI can transform “simple” predictive, rule-driven coding — hand-engineered solutions for specific problems, such as radios that automatically switch to unused frequencies when encountering interference.
Role of EW in Russia – Ukraine Conflict
Electronic warfare (EW) has been a significant aspect of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, playing a crucial role in shaping the battlefield dynamics. Here are some key points about EW in this conflict:
- Jamming and Spoofing: Both sides have employed jamming techniques to disrupt enemy communications, radar systems, and GPS signals. This has affected everything from troop movements to drone operations. Spoofing, where false signals are sent to confuse the enemy, has also been reported.
- Drone Warfare: Drones have been extensively used for reconnaissance and combat. EW systems are used to disable or hijack these drones, rendering them useless or turning them against their operators.
- Cyber Warfare: Alongside traditional EW, cyber-attacks have targeted critical infrastructure, military networks, and information systems. This includes hacking, data theft, and spreading disinformation.
- Electronic Surveillance: Both Ukraine and Russia have used EW for electronic surveillance to gather intelligence on enemy positions and movements. This includes intercepting communications and using signals intelligence (SIGINT) to inform strategic decisions.
- Countermeasures: As EW tactics evolve, so do the countermeasures. This includes hardening systems against jamming and spoofing, developing better encryption methods, and creating more resilient communication networks.
- Innovation and Adaptation: The conflict has driven rapid innovation in EW technologies and tactics, with both sides constantly adapting to new threats and opportunities.
Conclusion:
Electronic Warfare is a critical part of modern warfare and needs to be updated and developed against constantly evolving threats. These technologies are key factors affecting the success of military operations. Future battles will be shaped by further advancement and integration of radar and Electronic Warfare technologies.