The following agenda is an effort to identify major themes that the EW Working Group will address in the coming year.  The list is not exclusive and in no particular order.  

Further, the agenda does not necessarily reflect the views of each member of the Working Group.  The Working Group will strive to work with each member and partner in the defense community to raise awareness about EW issues important to them. 

1.  Commercial aircraft protection from MANPADS

MANPADs are surface-to-air missile systems that are affordable, widely proliferated, easy to use and conceal, and potentially lethal to all classes of aircraft, especially commercial.  It is important that the federal government develop and deploy an effective self-protection system for commercial aircraft.

2.  EA-6B Prowler: Mission Capability and ICAP III

The Prowler is standard-bearer for electronic attack missions.  It is the only dedicated tactical support jamming aircraft in the military and must be heavily relied upon in any air operation until 2010.  The development and deployment of ICAP III architecture must stay on schedule for the Prowler to maintain effective mission capability against advancing threats.

3.  Next Generation Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Architecture

With the EA-6B Prowler approaching the end of its service-life, a next generation of AEA architecture must be developed and deployed to replace the Prowler and its AEA mission capability.   Such next generation architecture must be well coordinated and integrated between the Services.

4.  Develop and deployment of detection and counter-measures for ground and air forces

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other emerging threats and tactics threaten ground and air forces deployed overseas, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It is essential that coalition forces are equipped with detection and countermeasure technology to protect warfighters and civilians in combat areas.

5.  Force Interoperability

As the United States leads a coalition in the war against terrorism, the Working Group believes it is important to improve interoperability through joint exercises among and between the U.S. Armed Forces and our Allies, including NATO forces.

6.  Oversight of Services' EW assets and capabilities

The Working Group will continue to focus on the EW assets and capabilities of each Service to ensure adequate funding is provided for essential EW programs. 

7.  Increase Electronic Warfare and Information Operations (EW&IO) Research and Development Funding

It is essential to maintain the superiority of U.S. warfighters and transform them from a threat-based approach to a capability-based system for EW.  Further, it is necessary to increase funding related to Network Centric Warfare that will enhance EW capabilities on the battlefield.

8.  Implementation of the Secretary of Defense Information Operations (IO) Roadmap

To sustain U.S. military superiority, it is necessary to develop a robust career work force for Information Operations and Electronic Warfare.  This career work force plan must include the ability to recruit, retain, and promote personnel, as well as, provide the manpower, training, and technical skills necessary to maintain a robust IO/EW combat capability in the Information Age.

9.  The Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) in Electronic Warfare

It is important to continue to develop the use of UAVs and UCAVs in both an EW role and the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) role and support research and development efforts in these arenas.

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