Electronic Warfare

and Counter-Measures

What is Electronic Warfare?

 Electronic Warfare (EW)

 Element of Command & Control Warfare (C2W)

 Command and Control Warfare (C2W) includes
integrated use of:
 Operational Security (OPSEC)
 Military Deception
 Psychological Operations (PSYOPS)
 Physical Destruction
 Electronic Warfare (EW)
 Importance of EW
• Increased reliance on radar and OTH
targeting
• Increased use of Communications and
Tactical Data Systems (TDS)
• Increased capabilities of missile &
weapons system
– Requires high-speed detection and tracking
• Active/Passive homing long-range missile
give little warning
 Three Components of EW

• Electronic Support (ES) *ESM

• Electronic Attack (EA) *ECM
• Electronic Protection (EP) *ECCM
 Electronic Support (ES)

• Passive surveillance of the EM spectrum to

detect the enemy’s position, strength, and
intention, and warning of targets

-Detection -Tracking

-Recognition -Targeting

-Warning -Destruction

-Avoidance
 Passive EW (ES)
• ELINT – Electronic Intelligence
– Foreign non-communications elecromagnetic
information
• COMINT – Communications Intelligence
– Foreign communications transmissions
intercepted by other than the intended
recipients
• Advantages and Limitations
 ES Receiver Design
Requirements
• Wide spectrum surveillance
• Wide dynamic range
• Unwanted signal rejection
• Angle-of-Arrival measurement
• Signal Analysis capability
• Real-Time Display
• Recording System
 Electronic Attack (EA)
• Preventing or reducing the enemy’s use of
the EM spectrum (capabilities) and
promoting uncertainty

• “Black boxes” that jam or deceive the

enemy

• Radar or communications “jamming”

 Electronic Attack (EA)

• Use of active and passive energy to “attack “

– Personnel
– Facilities
– Equipment
• Four Classes of EA
– Jamming
– Modifiers
– Radar-absorbing materials (RAM)
– Physical Destruction
 Non-Destructive EA
• Denial: overload opposition’s receiver to
deny its use by the enemy
• Jamming
• Noise
• Spot
• Barrage
• Sweep
• Chaff
• Flares
 Noise Jamming

Definition:
Noise jamming is the deliberate
radiation, re-radiation, or reflection of
electromagnetic energy with the
purpose of impairing the use of
electronic devices, equipment, or
systems being used by the enemy.
 Effective Jamming

PW
Rcvd
Signal PRT Ineffective
Amp. Jamming

time
 Jamming
TGT Freq
True Noise

Ideal Jammer

Actual Spot
Jammer
 Non-Destructive EA (cont.)

• Deception: Create false image or

change image’s characteristics on a radar
display. Misleads or “spoofs”
– Repeaters: delay received radar signal and
retransmitting at a slightly later time
– Transponders: Create false signal by playing back a
stored replica of the radar signal
– Chaff - disguise
– Radar Decoys
– Blip Enhancers
– Radar Cross-Section (RCS) Modification
Decoys
 Velocity Gate Pull Off
(VGPO)

Target Return

Velocity Gate

Gate Pull-Off
Confusion/Deception
Chaff Corridor

Flares (active)
Chaff False Targets
Multiple False Targets

Real Target
Strobes
Cover Pulse Jamming
“Reactive Jamming”

X
EA-6B Prowler!!!!!!!!!
 Passive Detection
1. Radar
2. IFF
3. TACAN
4. Jamming
 Destructive EA
• Anti-Radiation Missiles
–SLAM
–HARM
–Sidewinder
• Directed Energy
 SLAM ER
• Stand-off Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response

https://wrc.navair-rdte.navy.mil/warfighter_enc/weapons/airlanch/slamer/slamer.htm
 HARM
• High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile
 HARM
Results

Portable Serbian Radar

AIM-9 Sidewinder
 Electronic Protection (EP)
Definition:
EP is the division of electronic warfare
involving actions taken to protect
personnel, facilities and equipment from
any effects of friendly or enemy
employment of electronic warfare that
degrade, neutralize or destroy friendly
combat capability.
 Electronic Protection (EP)

• Protection of friendly combat

capability against undesirable effect of
friendly or enemy employed EW
• Types
– Passive EW
– Active EW
 Electronic Protection (EP)
• Three ways to defend from enemy EW
– Modify radar
• Make it more complex
• Make it harder to jam
– Modify the Medium
• Chaff
• Torch
– Modify the platform
 EP: Radar Design

Power
Frequency
PRF
PW
Pulse Shape
Antenna Design
Scan Pattern
 EP Factors

Burnthrough: Increase signal strength to

overpower jammer noise (ECCM)
Emission Control (EMCON)
Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Operator Recognition Training
 EP Factors (Cont.)
• Frequency Agility

Slider
Stepper Random
FREQ

TIME
 U.S. Shipboard EW
Capabilities
• SLQ-32 “Sidekick”
– On all combatants
– Radar warning, detection and jamming
– Uses internal library to auto detect/categorize
• Infrared Flares
– On all combatants
• Chaff
– On all combatants
U.S. Shipboard EW Capabilities
• SSQ-108 “Outboard” -
– On some DDG, CG, LHA, LHD
– Any ship with SSES
– Real-time OTH passive detection, localization, and
targeting
• SLQ-39 Chaff Buoy
– On Arleigh Burke class
• Rubber Duck
– Looks like a life boat container
 U.S. Airborne EW Capabilities
• ALQ-99 - EW system on EA-6B Prowler
• ALQ-162 - EA jamming system on F-14 & F/A 18
• ALQ-142 - ES system on SH-60 Seahawk
• ALQ-165 - EA jamming system on F/A-18
• ALR-47 - ES detection system on S-3 Viking
• ALR-68 - ES detection system on P-3C Orion
• ALR-73 - ES detection system on E-2 Hawkeye
• Chaff - On SH-60 Seahawk
 ALQ-99
• Detection, Identification, tracking
• Communication, Data Link, and radar
jamming
• Deception: mimics radar signals
• EA-6B Prowler
 ALQ-162
• Radar Jamming
• F/A-18 Hornet
• Automatic radar jamming against surface-
to-air and airborne intercept missiles that
use continuous wave (CW) radars
 ALQ-142
• Electronic Support System
• SH- 60 Seahawk
• Real time Identification and bearing of
surveillance radars
 Jamming Effectiveness
• Match the victim radar’s RF
• Be continuous
• Have sufficient power
 Methods to Defeat Direct
Threat Jamming
• Frequency Techniques
– RF Change
– RF Diversity
– RF Agility
– Diplexing
• Variable PRF
Questions?