MILITARY Technology
Trends in Electronic Warfare The demand for EW systems will be driven by rapid technological advancements, focus on Directed Energy Weapons and the growing need for electronic protection capabilities By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
Photograph: USAF
Electronic Warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the Electro-Magnetic (EM) spectrum or directing energy to control or attack an enemy or impede enemy use of EM spectrum. The purpose of EW is to deny the opponent the advantage of and ensure friendly unimpeded access to the EM spectrum. EW can be applied from air, sea, land, and space by manned and unmanned systems, and can target humans, communications, radar or other assets, military and civilian.
EW systems will also become a lot smarter. Dan Kilfoyle, Technical Director for EW systems with Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, expects future systems will be looking at more complex data sets, including in the context of signals. MAJOR DRIVING FACTOR: GLOBAL EW MARKET As per a Global Newswire report of December 10, 2019, increasing transnational and regional instability is a major driving factor for the growth of the EW market. This market, which was $25.813 billion in 2018, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.58 per cent from 2019 to 2026. The increasing rate of electronic, cyber, and optical domains will require a perceptible shift in war-fighting techniques. Since the avenues of technological advancement in these fields are limitless, new generations of equipment will emerge at a rapid rate. The challenge would be to integrate these into the physical domain of war-fighting and achieve the desired effect on the adversary. The relatively new field of Quantum Computing has the potential of creating a new generation of satellites.
TRENDS IN MILITARY EW Modern warfare has made impressive strides in the areas of communications, radar and surveillance. Military Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) platforms are trying to cover the spectrum from HF to Ka band, sometimes over an enormous dynamic range. All efforts are on for improving EW technologies through means such as machine learning. While cognitive EW is a work in progress, the miniaturisation and density of electronics components continue to increase. If cooling technology keeps up, this will drive Radio Frequency (RF) system functional consolidation and enhance sensor performance. The future will see multi-spectral, multi-mode and multi- GLOBAL EW MARKET 2020-2030 function capability, said Chris Rappa, Product Line Director The demand for EW systems will be driven by rapid technofor RF, EW and Advanced Electronics with BAE Systems’ FAST logical advancements, focus on Directed Energy Weapons and Labs Research and Development organisation. Active Electroni- the growing need for electronic protection capabilities in milically Scanned Arrays (AESAs) are already multi-mode but over taries. There is greater emphasis on information superiority a narrow band, he said. The aim is to build large or small totally and situational awareness - a major factor driving spending in digital arrays, where the electronics behind every element in this sector. the array, is digital and can be controlled in every aspect at As per a May 28, 2020 report in Business Wire, a Berkshire the element level. A decade Hathaway company, the EW from now, Rappa expects market is witnessing greater The F-35 joint strike fighter can also perform EW missions to see very large, all-digital, demand from airborne platprecisely controlled arrays forms leading to sustained that are multi-function, investment in the airborne multi-mode and capable of EW segment. There are learning to be cooperative increasing investments by or disruptive as required. most militaries in EW manHe expects they will be agement systems, electronic highly flexible, capable of jamming systems and other SIGINT, Electronic Support counter-measure systems. Measures (ESM), Electronic Attack (EA), Radar positionINCREASED US EW ing, Navigation and Timing ATTENTION (PNT) and communications, The US Defence Department all from one array and one plans to boost investment in box, cognitively and adaptively controlled. Continued on page 29...
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ISSUE 8 • 2020
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