{"id":24763,"date":"2016-03-02T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T23:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=24763"},"modified":"2016-03-02T10:18:44","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T23:18:44","slug":"the-next-battle-of-the-beams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-next-battle-of-the-beams\/","title":{"rendered":"The next Battle of the Beams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The<\/span> Battle of the Beams<\/span><\/a> was a period during World War II concerning German attempts to harness radio navigation for night bombing in the UK and the resulting British countermeasures. The British eventually managed to jam or distort all three iterations of German radio signals, making it more difficult for the bombers to hit their targets. That episode dramatically illustrates the ephemeral nature of advantages in electronic warfare, especially when operating against an agile and sophisticated foe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since the end of the Cold War and the onset of the War on Terror, the principal targets of Western military power have been relatively low-tech groups in the Middle East. Electronic warfare platforms like the US Navy\u2019s<\/span> EA-6B <\/span>Prowler<\/span><\/i><\/a> were<\/span> used to jam enemy communications<\/span><\/a> during operations, and the relatively low tech of the enemy limited their ability to counter. But the constant threat to ground troops from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) led to the development of counter-IED jamming systems, and a new \u2018<\/span>invisible war<\/span><\/a>\u2019 emerged. As quickly as vehicle-mounted jammers could be reprogrammed, insurgents made use of a variety of commercial technologies\u2014cell-phones, key-fobs, door remotes\u2014to adapt.<\/span><\/p>\n

The focus of electronic warfare understandably changed to deal with the threat of the day, but a focus on counter-IED systems has had consequences for wider development. For example, the ALQ-99 jamming pod used on the Prowler, and on the new EA-18G Growler, was first used<\/span> as far back as the Vietnam War<\/span><\/a> and its successor is<\/span> still years away<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lack of new developments in electronic warfare since the end of the Cold War has led to<\/span> a closing of the technological gap<\/span><\/a> between the US (and allies such as Australia), and potential adversaries such as Russia or China. This trend has been especially clear since Russian EW capabilities were used in Eastern Ukraine. The Russian land-based Krasukha-4 jamming system<\/span> proved too much<\/span><\/a> for the Ukrainians to handle, and was described by Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, commander of US Army units in Europe, as \u2018<\/span>eye-watering<\/span><\/a>\u2019 in sophistication.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, Russia deployed the<\/span> Krasukha-4 to Syria<\/span><\/a> in support of its operations there, along with its<\/span> S-400 radar-guided missile<\/span><\/a> system. The S-400 uses AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar to track multiple aerial targets out to 600km, and can fire supersonic missiles up to 400km. Russia is<\/span> exporting the S-400 to China<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> India<\/span><\/a>, and its predecessor platform, the S-300, is operated by several countries including China and<\/span> Iran<\/span><\/a>. Because of this proliferation, any conflict with Russia, China or even Iran is likely to involve a substantial electronic warfare component.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Australian Defence Force will need new and advanced tactical EW capabilities to contribute in the event of conflict with an adversary that\u2019s technologically capable. There are systems \u2018on the way,\u2019 but there are a few things that strategists and observers should be aware of when considering the future of Australia\u2019s EW capability.<\/span><\/p>\n

First, the Australian government announced in 2013 that it would purchase<\/span> 12 new-build Growler<\/span><\/a> aircraft from the US to complement the 24 F\/A-18F Super Hornets<\/span> already in service<\/span><\/a>. Former RAAF Air Marshal Geoff Brown said that the Growler \u2018<\/span>will have the biggest strategic effect on the ADF since the F-111 in the 1970s\u2019<\/span><\/a>. They\u2019ll still operate the obsolescent ALQ-99 jammer pods, but the<\/span> ADF will likely seek<\/span><\/a> to acquire the US Navy\u2019s<\/span> Next-Gen Jammer (NGJ)<\/span><\/a> when it arrives sometime<\/span> after 2021<\/span><\/a>. Essentially, the new jammer is \u2018<\/span>a move from dumb jamming to smart jamming<\/span><\/a>,\u2019 and it\u2019s being designed with Growler compatibility as a priority. The<\/span> RAAF Growler<\/span><\/a> will also field<\/span> the ALQ-218<\/span><\/a> electronic intelligence (ELINT) system, used to detect and analyse signals in the operating environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second, the F-35 Lightning-II will have an exceptional AESA digital radar system that will also be a capable electronic warfare system. It will be able<\/span> to function as a jammer<\/span><\/a> and generate false targets. It\u2019s not clear if the F-35\u2019s EW capability will be as substantial as the NGJ\u2019s, since the F-35 radar is \u2018<\/span>optimised to be a targeting radar<\/span><\/a>,\u2019 and is limited to X-band frequencies. However, the F-35 development program will continue to evolve a \u2018<\/span>cognitive EW<\/span><\/a>\u2019 capability, which will allow the F-35 to adapt its electronic detection and emissions with increasing agility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Third, electronic warfare needn\u2019t be restricted to electronic attack or ELINT capabilities. In fact, maintaining a technological edge in those capabilities is the bare minimum that the US Armed Forces and the ADF should be doing. The outcomes of conflicts of the future are being determined in the research labs of today. Electromagnetic spectrum capabilities include a growing role for microwave technology, such as<\/span> high-power microwave weapons<\/span><\/a> that can disrupt or even destroy the electronics of enemy vehicles<\/span> and drones<\/span><\/a>. Also of note are developments in non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse weapons and offensive lasers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia is well positioned to reap the capability benefits of US electronic warfare development, which has the added benefit of improving interoperability, but the ADF should investigate opportunities to contribute to future research in the field. The Defence Science and Technology Group already employs a team of world-class radar specialists to work on the<\/span> Jindalee Operational Radar Network<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the US Navy will continue to bear the brunt of testing Australian platforms\u2019 networking capabilities, as they are the primary operators of the Super Hornet and Growler, as well as the P-8 Poseidon and MQ-4C Triton platforms which Australia is planning to acquire. The ADF should also seek to confirm the F-35 and NGJ\u2019s networking compatibility with the RAAF\u2019s<\/span> E-7A Wedgetail<\/span><\/a> and<\/span> Gulfstream 550<\/span><\/a>, and the RAN\u2019s<\/span> Air Warfare Destroyer<\/span><\/a> and future frigates and submarines. The ADF will need to align its structure and EW doctrine to capitalise on the capability provided by networked EW and signals intelligence collection systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the event of conflict, Australia should be able to employ modern electronic warfare platforms, either independently or in concert with allies. Otherwise we could end up on the wrong side of the next Battle of the Beams. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Battle of the Beams was a period during World War II concerning German attempts to harness radio navigation for night bombing in the UK and the resulting British countermeasures. 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