Electromagnetic Warfare: Strategies and Technologies in Modern Combat

By Fouad Sabry

What is Electromagnetic Warfare

Electromagnetic warfare or electronic warfare (EW) is warfare involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy operations. The purpose of electromagnetic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of-and ensure friendly unimpeded access to-the EM spectrum. Electromagnetic warfare can be applied from air, sea, land, or space by crewed and uncrewed systems, and can target communication, radar, or other military and civilian assets.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Electromagnetic warfare

Chapter 2: Signals intelligence

Chapter 3: Electronic warfare support measures

Chapter 4: Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler

Chapter 5: Semi-active radar homing

Chapter 6: Measurement and signature intelligence

Chapter 7: Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses

Chapter 8: Electronic countermeasure

Chapter 9: Yakovlev Yak-28

Chapter 10: Electronic counter-countermeasure

(II) Answering the public top questions about electromagnetic warfare.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Electromagnetic Warfare.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: May 29, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Electromagnetic warfare

Electronic or electromagnetic warfare

The electromagnetic spectrum has made the information environment, in which military operations are carried out, extremely complex. The electromagnetic environment is the part of the information environment that includes the electromagnetic spectrum (EME). There are vulnerabilities and opportunities for electronic warfare in support of military operations due to the acknowledged requirement for military forces to have unrestricted access to and use of the electromagnetic environment.

NATO approaches EW differently and perhaps more broadly and comprehensively. MCM 0142 Nov. 2007, a conceptual document from the Military Committee Concept for Future Military Committee Transformation The EME is a recognized operational maneuver space and warfighting environment/domain under NATO Electronic Warfare. NATO views electronic warfare (EW) as EME warfare. NATO has adopted simplified terminology that is similar to that used in other warfighting domains, such as marine, terrestrial, and air/space. EM energy is used offensively in electronic attacks (EA), electronic defense (ED), and electronic surveillance, for instance (ES). Electronic assault (EA), electronic defense (ED), and electronic surveillance are all supported by and contribute to the usage of electronic countermeasures (ECM), electronic protection measures (EPM), and electronic support measures (ESM), which are conventional NATO EW designations (ES). In addition to EW, other EM missions include signals intelligence, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) (SIGINT). NATO has since released EW policy and doctrine and is addressing the other NATO defense development areas.

To take advantage of the advantages and dangers built into the physics of EM energy, primary EW activities have evolved over time. Electro-optical, infrared, and radio frequency countermeasures, electromagnetic compatibility and deception, radio jamming, radar jamming, and deception, as well as electronic counter-countermeasures (or anti-jamming) are techniques used in electronic warfare. Other techniques include electronic masking, probing, reconnaissance, and intelligence; emission control; spectrum management; and wartime reserve modes.

Electronic attack (EA), electronic protection (EP), and electronic warfare support are the three main subcategories of electronic warfare (ES).

Electronic attack (EA), also referred to as electronic countermeasures (ECM), is the use of electromagnetic energy weapons, directed energy weapons, or anti-radiation weapons offensively to attack people, buildings, or other objects with the aim of weakening, neutralizing, or obliterating an enemy's combat capability, including human life. This procedure, known as jamming, can be carried out on communications systems or radar systems in the case of electromagnetic energy. When it comes to anti-radiation weapons, this frequently entails bombs or missiles that can focus on a particular signal (radio or radar) and follow that course directly to impact, destroying the system broadcasting.

A measure used to defend against an electronic enemy attack (EA) or to defend against friendly forces accidentally deploying the equivalent of an electronic attack on friendly forces is known as electronic protection, also known as an electronic protective measure (EPM) or electronic counter-countermeasure (ECCM) (sometimes called EW fratricide). Ability to thwart an electronic attack is a measure of the effectiveness of electronic protection (EP) level (EA).

In order to prevent infrared homing missiles from missing their target, flares are frequently utilized. An illustration of EP is the application of flare rejection logic in the guidance (seeking head) of an infrared homing missile to thwart the use of flares by an adversary. While both EP (preventing jamming) and defensive EA activities (jamming) protect people, places, capabilities, and equipment, EP shields against the consequences of EA (friendly or adversarial). Spread spectrum technology, the usage of restricted frequency lists, emissions control (EMCON), and low observability (stealth) technology are more instances of EP.

Electronic warfare self-protection (EWSP) is a collection of countermeasure systems installed primarily on aircraft with the goal of shielding the host from weaponry fire. These systems may include, among others: chaff (protection against radar-guided missiles); directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM); flare systems; and DRFM decoy systems (protection against radar-targeted anti-aircraft weapons).

A practice range called an electronic warfare tactics range (EWTR) is used to train people who work in electronic warfare. Two such ranges may be found in Europe: the Multinational Aircrew Electronic Warfare Tactics Facility Polygone range on the German-French border, and RAF Spadeadam in the northwest county of Cumbria, England. To mimic electronic warfare threats that aircrew can encounter on missions, EWTRs are outfitted with ground-based equipment. For both ground forces and naval forces, additional EW training and tactics ranges are available.

Beyond normal EP, antifragile EW occurs when a communications link that is being jammed actually improves in capability as a result of a jamming attack. However, this is only conceivable in particular situations, such as reactive kinds of jamming.

To detect, intercept, identify, locate, and/or localize sources of planned and unwanted radiated electromagnetic (EM) radiation, an operational commander or operator is required to conduct electronic warfare support (ES), a subset of electronic warfare (EW). These Electronic Support Measures (ESM) are designed to support military service requirements even in the most tactical, hostile, and challenging environments. Although today's more popular terms are intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) or intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), this is frequently referred to as simply reconnaissance (ISTAR). The goal is to immediately identify, prioritize, and pinpoint dangers for combat commanders.

The related process of analyzing and identifying intercepted transmissions from sources like radio communication, mobile phones, radar, or microwave communication is known as signals intelligence (SIGINT), a field that overlaps with ES. Electronic intelligence (ELINT) and communications intelligence are the two subcategories of SIGINT (COMINT). Frequency, bandwidth, modulation, and polarization are among analysis parameters that can be examined in these signal types.

The controller of the collection assets, the information delivered, and the information's intended use all influence how SIGINT and ES are distinguished from one another. Assets under the operational control of a commander conduct electronic warfare assistance to offer tactical information, particularly threat prioritization, recognition, location, targeting, and avoidance. However, the same tools and resources assigned to ES can also be used to gather data that satisfies the criteria for greater strategic intelligence.

Electronic warfare has a long history that dates at least to the early 20th century. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, the use of EW was first noted. The Japanese auxiliary cruiser Shinano Maru had identified the Russian Baltic Fleet in the Tsushima Strait and was sending a wireless message to the Imperial Japanese Fleet HQ with the location of the fleet. By attempting to transmit a louder radio signal over