Electronic Warfare is one of the most written about but at the same time least understood elements of modern defense systems. It has its roots as far back as the telegraph and the military communications of the early 19th Century. Then, signals were blocked and sometimes intercepted via telegraph lines. Later, with the arrival of wireless radio communications the most basic EW and countermeasures were born. The advent of radar and more sophisticated communications capabilities made World War II the first major arena for the advancement of what is today modern Electronic Warfare. Since that time - the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Era, two Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, and on-going challenges and instability around the globe, have all made the need for advanced Electronic Warfare capabilities one of increasing importance.
The additional element of the critical DoD priorities around the Pacific Pivot, the challenges of Asia Pacific deployment and the “tyranny of distance” given the vast geography of the region, renewed instability in Northern Africa and the Middle East, and challenges in Eastern and Central Europe, have all turned Electronic Warfare from being “a priority” to “the priority” in modern defense. This holds true for both the United States and our allies around the globe.
This white paper examines the challenges we face as a nation and within the defense industrial base around EW and provides context on how we believe these challenges should be addressed. This white paper:
• Examines the Electronic Warfare landscape and why it plays such an important role
• Discusses our business model and why it matters
• Highlights key components of EW - including deceptive jammers and denial jamming, countermeasures, and threat analysis
• Features the role of Open Systems Architectures within EW
• Presents a better way forward for the future of EW that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow
