ELECTRONIC WARFARE

1. Electronic Warfare (EW) is military action to exploit the electromagnetic spectrum which encompasses the interception, identification and location of electromagnetic emissions, the employment of electromagnetic energy to reduce or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum and actions to ensure its effective use by friendly forces.

The 3 major divisions within EW are Electronic Attack, Electronic Protection and Electronic Warfare Support.

ELECTRONIC WARFARE SUPPORT

1. Electronic Warfare Support (ES) is that division of EW involving actions tasked by, or under direct control of, an operational commander to search for, intercept, identify and locate sources of intentional and unintentional radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition. Thus ES provides information required for immediate decisions involving EW operations, threat avoidance, targeting and other tactical actions. 2. The sub-divisions of ES include the following: a. Combat Direction Finding that are actions taken to search for, intercept and locate sources of intentional and unintentional radiated electromagnetic energy. b. Combat Threat Warning are actions taken to identify intentional and unintentional radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition and warning. This will include for example warning and the cueing of ECM techniques in the tactical environment. This is particularly important as the application of countermeasures at the correct time is essential. Too early and the countermeasures may give away the presence of the attacking aircraft, too late and the aircraft may be engaged successfully.

ELECTRONIC ATTACK

3. Electronic Attack (EA) is that division of EW involving the use of electromagnetic or directed energy to attack personnel, facilities or equipment with the intent of degrading, neutralising or destroying enemy combat capability. 4. The sub-divisions of EA include the following : a. Anti-Radiation Missiles (ARMs) are munitions that home passively onto a radiation source with the intention of destroying the radiating equipment b. Directed Energy is the deliberate use of electromagnetic energy to either temporarily or permanently damage personnel, facilities or equipment that rely on the electromagnetic spectrum. Directed energy involves the use of RF weapons, laser weapons, particle beam weapons and non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons. c. Electromagnetic Jamming is the deliberate radiation, re‑radiation or reflection of electromagnetic energy with the object of denying the use of, or impairing the use of electronic systems, equipment or device. 5. Electromagnetic Deception is the deliberate radiation, re‑radiation, alteration, absorption or reflection of electromagnetic energy in a manner intended to mislead personnel, electronic systems, equipment or devices in the interpretation or the use of information received. Electromagnetic deception is sub‑divided into: a. Imitation. The introduction of electromagnetic energy into enemy systems that imitates or alters enemy emissions with the intention of misleading hostile forces. b. Manipulation. The alteration of friendly electromagnetic emissions to avoid revealing the presence of or to convey false indications with the intention of misleading hostile forces. c. Simulation. The creation of electromagnetic emissions to represent assumed or actual friendly capabilities with the intention of misleading hostile forces.

ELECTRONIC PROTECTION

6. Electronic Protection (EP) is that division of EW involving actions taken to protect personnel, facilities and equipment from any effects of friendly or enemy employment of EW that degrade, neutralize or destroy friendly combat capability. 7. The sub-divisions of EP include Electronic Techniques and Modes, Procedures Emission Control (EMCON) and EW Frequency Deconfliction. These may be defined as follows: a. Electronic Techniques and Modes include transmitter, receiver and antenna management and other equipment techniques that have been implemented to protect facilities and equipment from the effects of friendly or enemy employment of electronic attack. b. Emission Control (EMCON) and other operator procedures include the selective control of emitted friendly electromagnetic or acoustic energy. The aims of emission control are to: (1) Minimise the possibility of detection by the enemy and exploitation of friendly emissions. (2) Improve the performance of friendly sensors by reducing EMI. c. EW Frequency Deconfliction ensures that EW systems are sufficiently separated in frequency and modes to minimise interference or jamming to friendly assets that rely on the use of the electromagnetic spectrum. d. Electromagnetic Hardening entails the use of electrical and electronic circuits and physical structures to protect facilities and equipment from the effects of friendly or enemy employment of directed energy.