The U.S. Navy attaches great importance to the development and construction of electronic warfare systems, and has built a three-dimensional electronic warfare system including ship-based electronic warfare systems, outboard electronic warfare systems, and carrier-based aircraft electronic warfare systems. Following the Decisive Victory over Electromagnetic Waves report and the Decisive Grey Area, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Evaluation (CSBA) released the report" Decisively, "Winning the Invisible War—Winning a Lasting Advantage in the Electromagnetic Spectrum." In the future, the US Navy will further increase its efforts in technology research and development and equipment upgrades. From this, we can spy on the tip of the iceberg of the US military's electronic warfare system.
1. Shipboard electronic warfare system
AN/SLQ-32 features high intercept probability and short overall reaction time. The system adopts the combination of crystal video receiving direction finding and instantaneous frequency measurement, adopts a dielectric lens feeding multi-beam antenna array, the array for reception has a total of 16 beams, each array used for transmission has 35 arrays, a total of 140 50W power traveling wave tubes, and the synthetic pulse power radiated by the entire antenna can reach 1MW.
The AN/SLQ-32 has been developed over the years with 7 main models and some of them have been equipped. The two newest models are the SLQ-32V(6) and the SLQ-32V(7).
The SLQ-32V(6) is part of the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Project (SEWIP) Block 2 project to provide early warning, threat warning, analysis, and countermeasures against incoming anti-ship missiles for use on the high seas and coastal areas, the biggest change in sewip Block 2 is to unify multiple receiving and jamming antenna arrays of the original SLQ-32(V)3/4 with a single antenna array; the SLQ-32(V)6 was approved to start full-speed production in October 2016.
The installation location of sewip Block 2
SLQ-32V(7) is a SWIP Block 3 project, and THE SEOP Block 3, currently under development, is designed to provide common electronic attack capabilities for new platforms and all cruisers, destroyers, aircraft carriers, and amphibious assault ships equipped with AN/SLQ-32(V)3 and AN/SLQ-32(V)4. Block 3 will introduce integrated electronic attack capabilities, including new transmitters, antenna arrays, and associated jamming techniques, thereby protecting ships from RF-guided missiles.
SEWIP Block 3 array
2. Outboard electronic warfare system
The AN/ALQ-248 is designed to provide a new, long-lasting soft-kill capability that provides a continuously scalable electronic warfare capability for maritime battle groups. The AN/ALQ-248 pod can support battle groups with new, long-lasting soft-damage capabilities provided by continuous, scalable electronic warfare capabilities.
The AN/ALQ-248 uses technology to generate and emit complex RADIO frequencies as part of the Layered Anti-Ship Missile Defense (ASMD). In addition, it is able to work closely with the shipborne AN/ALQ-32(V)6 and AN/ALQ-32(V)7 electronic warfare systems deployed in the U.S. Navy's Shipborne Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP).
AN/ALQ-248 pod
An initial bid for the AOEW AMP development phase was submitted in December 2014 and The Rotor and Mission Systems Division of Lo Ma was awarded a $20 million contract in January 2017. As required by the contract, The Company integrated the AOEW AMP pod into the MH-60R/MH-60S avionics operating procedures. This work included integrating system software that supported AMP (mounted in the left and right expansion weapons compartments of the MH-60S aircraft and on the left and right expansion hangers of the MH-60R aircraft).
The production of the AN/ALQ-248 system began in 2019 and is planned to complete the goal of forming an initial combat capability by 2021.
AOEM AMP schematic
As part of the Advanced Outboard Electronic Warfare (AOEW) program program, the development of the Long Voyage AOEW Platform (LEAP) project is divided into two parts: expendable aircraft carrier automatic decoy and RF payload development. Low-speed production is expected in 2026-2027.
INR published a request for proposals for the design of the LEAP concept in April 2019 in two related technical areas (TA), namely the LEAP Autonomous Aircraft Carrier (TA1) and the LEAP RF Payload (TA2). ONR has characterized the LEAP RF payload as a packaged modular RF system capable of maintaining situational awareness in the electromagnetic spectrum, communicating with the host platform, and operating autonomously under the control of the host command system.
In August 2019, Raytheon was awarded a $604,000 contract to develop the LEAP Compact Photoelectric Infrared Payload.
In September 2019, ONR awarded BAE Systems an $733,000 contract under TA2. For EO/IR payloads, the ONR is being designed to include visible and infrared receivers, internal precision pointing control, control electronics, processors, and local inertial navigation systems.
Third, the carrier-based aircraft electronic warfare system
The EA-18G Growlercarrier-based electronic warfareaircraft was developed on top of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter with a variety of electronic warfare mission systems. As an important part of the US military's network-centric warfare system, the EA-18G is equipped with a "multi-mission advanced tactical terminal" (MATT), a "multi-functional information distribution system" (MIDS) and a Link-16 data link, etc., with complete electronic combat capabilities. With its powerful electronic warfare capabilities, the EA-18G can perform comprehensive electromagnetic suppression of enemy air defense weapons and carry out anti-radiation strikes.
The EA-18G electronic warfare mission system (EWMS) is the core of the EA-18G avionics system, mainly including an/ALQ-218V(2) tactical receiver system, AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasure system, AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming pod system, etc., as well as MIDS, MATT, The network-centric combat mission system, including satellite communications and Link-16 data link, is arranged in the following figure.
EA-18G Electronic Warfare Mission System
The communication and data interfaces between the various electronic warfare and cyber warfare mission systems and the aircraft platform are connected by an electronic attack unit (EAU), which coordinates the navigation data of the aircraft platform and completes the display and documentation functions of providing electronic warfare data to pilots. In the entire combat process, the electronic warfare mission system occupies the highest priority dominant position, and completes various electronic warfare combat tasks under the close cooperation of other avionics systems. Its main systems and functions are listed below.
Composition and functionality of the EA-18G Electronic Warfare Mission System
Fourth, the shipboard high-power microwave short-range defense system
In January 2018, BAE Systems demonstrated its shipboard high-power microwave short-range defense system, as shown in the figure below.
Shipboard high-power microwave short-range defense system demonstration diagram
The microwave source of the shipboard high-power microwave short-range defense system is mounted under the ship's deck, and the firing antenna is mounted on the base of the Mk38 short-range defense gun. The system has completed capability testing for a variety of targets and will not be severely affected by environmental conditions such as rain, fog and battlefield obstacles. At present, the system is only effective for small ships, unmanned aerial vehicles and some aircraft and missile systems, and has not yet been verified in the maritime environment.
Presumably, the system's sighting system uses the same radar system as the dense array short-range defense weapon, integrated inside the protective cover on the upper part of the launch antenna, including a Ku-band radar and a forward-looking infrared radar. At the same time, the system is also highly scalable, and the attack range and attack intensity can be adjusted as needed to adapt to the battlefield environment or the self-defense use of commercial ships. If BAE's shipboard high-power microwave short-range defense system can be successfully tested in the future maritime environment, it will be a huge breakthrough in the short-range defense system.
MK38 short-range defensive gun
5. Submarine electronic warfare system
In order to meet the needs of submarines in the complex electromagnetic environment of the coastal areas of the hidden reconnaissance, surveillance, intelligence gathering tasks, and improve the information support capabilities of ground operations in network-centered warfare, the US military proposed the operational requirements of the Advanced Submarine Tactical ESM System (ASTECS), which was developed by lockheed Martin's MS2 division. The system was successfully developed in 2004 under the model AN/BLQ-10(V)1 and equipped with the USS Virginia (SSN-774). Variants include (V)2, (V)3, and (V)5 to replace electronic warfare systems such as WLR-8(V), BRD-7, WLQ-4(V)1 on Los Angeles-class, Seawolf-class, and Ohio-class submarines.
AN/BLQ-10(V) Electronic Warfare System
AN/BLQ-10(V) is an integrated radar, communications ESM system with threat warning and intelligence gathering capabilities. To achieve the goals of integration with combat systems, reducing the number of equipment, and facilitating technology insertion, the system uses an open architecture, as shown in the figure below. The system is mainly composed of five parts: antenna unit, signal distribution unit, communication ESM subsystem, radar ESM subsystem, operator workstation, etc., and is connected to other systems on the boat through Ethernet. The radar signal antenna unit is highly integrated and modular, and is mounted on an integrated ESM mast (IETM) and a photoelectric mast.
The communication ESM subsystem consists of multiple receivers that can detect cellular wireless communication signals in addition to traditional HF, VHF, and UHF band shortwave communication signals. The radar ESM subsystem consists of a pair of narrowband receivers and a broadband receiver. Wideband receivers provide a 100% probability of interception; narrowband receivers are sensitive and have long measurement distances, enabling reconnaissance of low Probability of Intercept (LPI) radars. The system is connected to the submarine C3IS system, which makes it possible to display maritime command information strategy/system data and correct the submarine's observations.
LQ-10(V) system architecture
The operator workstation can display a variety of information including work tasks, signal early warning, direction finding trajectory, interception signal radiation source summary, communication information analysis, receiver control, communication transmission, contract management, and geographical location, and build a complete battlefield situation map through multi-sensor data fusion and integrated electronic nautical chart system, thereby providing submarines with an electromagnetic monitoring capability similar to underwater monitoring of the sea surface.
In February 2019, Loma won a $20 million contract from the U.S. Navy to provide design and related services for the AN/BLQ-10 submarine electronic warfare system. The contract is a fixed-price contract with no delivery period/no delivery quantity for the testing, integration and upgrade services of the AN/BLQ-10 electronic warfare system for "Technology Insertion"-20 (TI-20), "Technology Insertion" -22 (TI-22), "Technology Insertion" -24 (TI-24).
brief summary
In order to maintain the absolute superiority of the electromagnetic spectrum, the U.S. Navy continues to develop multi-platform, multi-means of durable full-spectrum electronic reconnaissance, strengthen comprehensive electronic attack and maintain leading surface electronic protection capabilities. New concepts such as electromagnetic spectrum warfare and network-centric warfare are emerging in an endless stream, and electronic warfare technology and equipment are constantly being innovated. Under the great attention of the military powers led by the United States, the future global electronic warfare has entered a new stage of rapid development.