Ship Self Defense (Engage: Soft Kill/EW)

The PE 0604757N: Ship Self Def (Engage: Soft Kill/EW) program is a Navy Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) initiative focused on advancing ship self-defense capabilities through electronic warfare (EW) and soft-kill technologies. The goal is to develop, integrate, and demonstrate advanced EW systems and decoys that can counter increasingly sophisticated anti-ship missile (ASM) threats. This program element supports multiple projects, each targeting specific capability gaps and leveraging rapid prototyping, technology insertion, and collaborative development with allied partners and Navy research organizations.

The Shipboard EW Improvement Program centers on the Electronic Warfare Rapid Capability Insertion Process (RCIP), which identifies and prioritizes EW system and mission capability gaps based on fleet requirements and technology maturity. The objective is to develop and integrate upgrades to the AN/SLQ-32(V) product line, including incremental improvements to hardware, software, and operator interfaces. Objectives for the upcoming fiscal year include continued development and integration of the Soft Kill Coordination System (SKCS) with AEGIS Baseline 9 and 10, enhancements to built-in test and signal processing, and deployment of advanced planning and simulation tools for EW operators. The program also supports integration of new decoy launch systems and addresses obsolescence issues, ensuring the AN/SLQ-32(V)6/7 remains effective against emerging threats.

The NULKA Decoy is a joint U.S.-Australia program that provides an offboard active decoy system to counter radar-guided ASMs. The U.S. is responsible for the electronic payload and fire control, while Australia supplies the hovering rocket. Goals for the upcoming year include further development of the Decoy Launcher Processor (DLP) Nulka Objective Architecture and Decoy Launch Message Converter (DLMC) for backward compatibility and improved integration with the SKCS. The program aims to enhance decoy deployment effectiveness, update tactics against new threats, and ensure seamless operation with evolving shipboard EW architectures.

The Long Endurance Electronic Decoy (LEED) seeks to deliver an expendable, long-endurance, autonomous off-board decoy system with a modular radio frequency payload. LEED is being developed under a Middle Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping strategy, with integration into the SLQ-32 system to address fleet-identified gaps in countering ASM threats. Objectives for the coming year include continued prototype development, integrated system testing, procurement of prototype shipsets, and the start of Block 2 All-Up Round (AUR) payload development. LEED also emphasizes interoperability, training, and cybersecurity, and leverages technologies matured under the Office of Naval Research's LEAP project.

The Advanced Offboard EW (AOEW) was designed to develop long-duration off-board decoys that integrate with shipboard EW systems to address urgent operational needs. The program is being divested starting in the upcoming fiscal year, with its requirements and technology development efforts transferred to other ongoing programs. The recent focus was on completing test events, tactics development, and software updates, with funding ending as the program closes out.

SEWIP Block 3 is focused on developing advanced electronic attack capabilities for the AN/SLQ-32(V) system, particularly the (V)7 variant for surface ships. The program leverages technology from the ONR Integrated Topside Science and Technology effort, with goals to expand shipboard combat system integration, improve transmitter and array performance, and insert new electronic attack techniques. Objectives include supporting Full Rate Production Decision Review, software and hardware upgrades, and the development of capability improvements to address evolving ASM threats, with a strong emphasis on government-owned technical data and future technology insertion.

Scaled Onboard Electronic Attack (SOEA) is an incremental development effort to provide advanced electronic attack capability to ships with size, weight, power, and cooling constraints that cannot support the full AN/SLQ-32(V)7 system. SOEA is being developed under a Middle Tier Rapid Prototyping strategy, with Phase 1 focused on rapid prototype development and Phase 2 on rapid fielding and integration. Funding supports prototype delivery, qualification and performance testing, SKCS integration, and the development of training modules and modeling tools. SOEA is intended to augment, not replace, existing EW systems and will be integrated with the broader SEWIP family.