Electronic Warfare Development

The Electronic Warfare (EW) Development program is designed to bolster the United States Navy's electronic warfare capabilities through a variety of projects. It concentrates on creating systems for tactical aircraft, helicopters, and surface combatants to address emerging threats. Key efforts include enhancing radio frequency jammers, precision targeting, and assessing data link vulnerabilities. The program also supports the development of hardware and software solutions that integrate with Aircraft Survivability Equipment (iASE) and involves studies of current and future aircraft threats.

A significant part of this program is the EW Counter Response project, which focuses on refining jamming techniques and electronic attack algorithms for Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) systems. This project aims to develop countermeasures against evolving radio frequency threats through modeling, simulation, laboratory testing, and field testing. Additionally, it includes risk reduction activities to minimize interference with U.S. weapons systems and research for upgrades to existing AEA systems.

Efforts in Tactical Air Electronic Warfare are concentrated on the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) Block 4 for F/A-18 aircraft. This involves developing the Common On-Board Jammer and enhancing radar countermeasure capabilities. The Dual Band Decoy (DBD) is being developed to improve survivability against modern RF threat radars. These initiatives are intended to enhance situational awareness and survivability for naval platforms by integrating advanced radar countermeasures.

The Technology Development project emphasizes quick reaction prototyping of EW solutions to boost tactical aircraft resilience and survivability. It includes developing advanced electronic countermeasure algorithms, updating threat data files, and conducting modeling and simulation tests. These efforts aim to optimize EW solutions across the Department of Navy's tactical air platforms, ensuring effective operation in contested environments while addressing modern threats.