Electronic Warfare

Since the pivot to Great Power Competition in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, both the Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress have increased attention to Electronic Warfare (EW) and the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS). The Congressionally mandated National Defense Strategy Commission stated that “the United States is losing its advantages in electronic warfare, hindering the nation’s ability to conduct military operations against capable adversaries.” As a result, every Service Chief announced intent to “modernize” their approach to control and manipulation of the EMS. To regain and maintain our competitive edge in the EMS, the DOD must commit to continuing and expanding the EW momentum and move out of its comfort zone with both industry and the warfighter.

Modernization of EW and the DOD’s use of the EMS is, and will continue to be, a challenge. The DOD struggles to define the concept and use of EW itself. Some subject matter experts in and out of the DOD passionately advocate for the EMS to be designated as a domain. Many others believe just as passionately that it is not a domain, but rather a cross-functional utility. Both groups believe that their way is the only path to EMS functionality receiving the attention it deserves. The concept of “modernization” is equally problematic, and in some cases has been limited to mitigating 20 years of neglect to EW strategies and systems. The DOD’s relationship with the EW industry is complicated by the fact that it is not an industry at all, but rather a sub-market for defense primes and smaller contractors who divide their attention with the commercial market.

The experiences of the academic year 2020 EW/EMS Industry Study serve as a metaphor for the fragility of long-held beliefs, established strategies, and “accepted truth.” While DOD priorities and industry strengths have always been subject to changes in leadership and priorities in both the legislative and executive branches, an exogenous event like the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates just how quickly and immensely everything can change. It further highlights our weaknesses, such as limited domestic and restricted foreign supply-chains. For the United States to regain and maintain its advantage in the EMS in support of Great Power Competition, the DOD must commit to a unified and ambitious vision for EW. Both Defense and industry should shift their focus from decades-long commitments to exquisite weaponry to a balanced mix of platforms that will produce EW effects quickly and flexibly. All of our recommendations require consistent prioritization of the use of the EMS in and out of combat, even in the face of budget cuts. We believe that all of the Services must be open to radical modernization of EW, from the systems and weapons themselves to how the DOD communicates with industry.

While crisis reveals weakness, it also reveals strength. The EW/EMS Industry Study successfully completed its program despite curtailed travel, physical separation from colleagues, and limited virtual interaction with presenters and subject matter experts. That resilience represents the strength of our various services and agencies, as well as our collective ability to adapt. Should the EMS continue to receive the attention it deserves, the United States can discover a new enduring advantage in Great Power Competition.

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