Issue Brief #1
February 27, 2001

Electronic Warfare: Key to Military Superiority

As the Bush Administration develops a new defense strategy, it is vital that the Department of Defense (DoD) pays greater attention to and supports electronic warfare (EW) programs.  Defining EW is no easy task, which contributes to it being often overlooked, but simply stated, EW is the control and manipulation of the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e. radar, radio, and infrared) during military operations.  According to DoD, there are three major subdivisions of EW:  electronic attack, electronic protection, and electronic warfare support.  Essentially, EW includes “listening” to an enemy’s radars and communications, collecting the information, jamming or deceiving the enemy’s signals, and defeating an enemy’s attack if detected.  It is also the key element in any suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) mission.

            Dominance in EW is essential for America to maintain its military superiority.  EW provides access to the battle space, degrades our enemy’s capability to attack, and, most importantly, saves lives.  It ensures that military operations, be they in the air or on the ground, are conducted on our terms.  Further, when combined with stealth technology, EW greatly enhances our ability to stay hidden and keeps our enemy “blind” during military operations.  Unfortunately, our military’s EW assets are underfunded and over committed.  For example, the EA-6B Prowler, our military’s only dedicated support jamming aircraft, is a low density/high demand (LD/HD) aircraft that must be heavily relied upon in any air operation for at least another decade.   The Prowler proved its worth and importance in Operation Allied Force over Kosovo serving as “Go/No Go” criterion for all air strikes penetrating into the Kosovo operating area.  With an increasing emphasis on air campaigns and non-attrition warfare, and the increasing cost of military programs, the necessity for EW superiority is becoming crystal clear.

            Each time America has fought an air campaign adversaries learned new ways of coping with American EW methods, forcing the Pentagon to come up with more clever electronic countermeasures.  This cat-and-mouse game requires the Pentagon restore EW expertise at the decision-making levels in each branch, remain on the edge of new EW technologies, and dedicate itself to fully supporting and funding critical EW programs that will protect and sustain our force for years to come.

            With this in mind, the EW Working Group was established as a resource to Members of Congress and the defense community to educate them about the importance of EW and hold DoD accountable in its commitment to strengthen its EW assets.  Over the next several months, the Working Group will be releasing a series of issue briefs that will survey EW concepts and programs to ensure a rebuilding of America’s EW capabilities.

Joseph R. Pitts
Member of Congress 

Electronic Warfare Working Group

Congressman Joe Pitts, Founder and Co-Chairman

420 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

202 225-2411 phone    202 225-2013 fax