New EW
Better late than never. After the Cold War, the Army largely gave up much of its EW capabilities, especially jamming. With the focus switched to fighting damn-near Stone Age insurgents from large techno-enemies, you can kind of understand – but in usual short-sighted style, we threw the baby out with the bathwater and now have little capability. Hopefully an upcoming system from Lockheed will restore some of that lost art.
The first is the Multi-Function Electronic Warfare Air Large system, which is a jamming pod initially designed to be mounted on an MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone. However, the Army is shifting its requirement to make the pod system-agnostic.
The second capability in the works is the Terrestrial Layer System-Brigade Combat Team, an integrated cyber, EW and signals intelligence system that will be mounted to a Stryker vehicle.
Additionally, Lockheed — along with General Dynamics Mission Systems — was awarded a contract to develop a prototype and conceptual design for a third key electronic warfare system for the Army, the TLS-Echelons Above Brigade. This system is meant to provide larger echelons with deep sensing abilities across much longer distances.
They say future facets of the project will include ‘dismounted’ options… we had dismounted intercept options which not only intercepted but direction-found (DF) signals across the tactical spectrum several decades ago, small enough to almost fit in an American Tourister. Jamming – not so much. But our capabilities used to be better and more ubiquitous – ASA/MI units were assigned even to regiment-sized units, which would not only intercept the enemy, but spoof or jam them as well. Seeing a map of the FEBA with a big bight in it due to one of your jammers screwing up opposing comms really makes for a great feeling, eh?
Nice to see that someone is figuring out that IN-DEPTH intel is needed. Not just in the air, not just in space (although the Air Force has argued that the air-carried or satellite units can do anything – trust us) but having eyes and ears on the ground helps build a complete picture of the bad guys, and no single source is foolproof.
Category: Army, Defense cuts, Military issues
Perhaps they have been watching $500 dollar drones in Ukraine killing tanks with $2 grenades?
The “war” in the Ukraine largest benefactors – the stockholders of American defense companies and politicians getting their kickbacks.
^^^this^^^
Now, you can also think of it as the best weapons development research in the world. Nothing proves whether or not your missile will kill a russkie tank, like killing a russkie tank with it.
Don’t forget hunter and the big guy.
Which means it will start to be in the inventory in maybe 5 years.
“Additionally, Lockheed — along with General Dynamics Mission Systems — was awarded a contract to develop a prototype and conceptual design for a third key electronic warfare system for the Army, the TLS-Echelons Above Brigade.”
And yet some 3rd or 4th world local will find a way to disable the system with some type of MacGyver technique.
You mean like steal their gas? Or toss a piece of metal onto their antenna!?
I think they’ll shove a banana in the exhaust. It worked for Axel Foley!
It’s mind-boggling that it’s taken this long to realize in any battle today that EW would be critical, both offensive and defensive.
I’m sure any system that is started today will be ready for deployment in 10 years and be fully capable against any enemy electronics of 5 years ago.
Death by SigInt.
So all this hi-tech shit will be Pedo Joe’s next “gift” to Ukraine…developed for them, not us no doubt.
In 1983, I remember an ARTEP at Ft. Stewart ( in the days when the mighty 24th ID (Mech) was there), walking up to some dudes sitting on top of a M113 with a Ground Surveillance Radar on it, I asked “Does that thing work?” A guy replies “….eh….sometimes”.
Like a PPS5 or PPS15? Sure, but not very far!
But does it jam!!!…sure does we jam our own $h!t all the time.
Will that actually work, or will it be an electronic version of the Murphy AA Gun?
Seen some fine EW equipment…and worked some less-than-fine. We were manually tuning across the tactical spectrum using units requiring a 5/4 ton truck and 5KW generator at the same time a Radio Shack Bearcat scanner could do the same automatically in a unit the size of a thick 3ring binder.
Maybe the military shoulda kept some of the old “queers” (Prowlers n Growlers) ‘stead of trying to get more new “queers” (trannies and groomers)?
New ew? I thought this thread would be about a new MRE.