Electronic Warfare Flashcards
What is Electronic Support?
Determine and exploiting tactical use of the EM spectrum (ES)
With ES action is taken to search for, intercept, locate and identify EM energy emissions for the purpose of threat recognition.
What is Electronic Attack?
Reducing and preventing hostile use of the EM spectrum. (EA)
EA are actions taken to prevent or reduce the enemy’s effective use of the EM spectrum.
What is Electronic Protection?
Retaining friendly use of the EM spectrum. (EP)
In terms of EW, what is Emission Control?
EMCON is the control of our emissions to minimize detectability, improve sensor performance (SLA 10) and safety.
What are the different warfare centers?
1) CF Maritime Warfare Center
2) CF Electronic Warfare Center
3) Naval Electronics Warfare Center
What is the range advantage?
The distance at which our ESM can detect a target radar relative to where the target radar can detect us. Generally it is 3:1
What is an omnidirectional antenna?
An antenna that can send and receive signals equally in all directions.
What is a super heterodyne receiver?
A SHR uses filtering, a mixer and a LO to translate the received signal to a lower IF.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of a super heterodyne receiver?
1) High sensitivity and selectivity
2) Slow signal handling due to tuning requirements
3) Low probability of intercept
What is de-interleaving?
Separating individual pulse trains from an interleaved pulse train.
In EW what is seduction?
Seduction is a jamming tactic used to create a fake signal to lure an incoming missile away from the actual target.
In EW what is deception?
Deception uses signals to mislead an enemy. An example is making an enemy missile believe you are in a location that you are not.
What is repeater jamming?
Repeater jamming manipulates received radar energy and retransmits it to change what the enemy radar sees.
What is responsive jamming?
An incident RF is received and the frequency is measured. An oscillator sets the response signal to the incident frequency.
What type of jamming is normally used with MASS?
Range Gate Pull Off
What is passive electronic attack?
Decrease the effectiveness of enemy sensors without the use of EM energy.
What is EA confusion?
Using CHAFF clouds to create a false target for a CW radar to lock up. It is deployed during the search phase.
What is EA distraction?
Distraction is used when a missile is in flight and provides a false target for the missile to lock on.
What is EA seduction?
Seduction is employed to break a missile lock on. It is used with active ESM and CHAFF. It breaks the lock and allows the lock onto another target, usually using Range Gate Pull Off.
What is the purpose of the EW suite?
To provide STJ with electronic support and electronic attack capability.
What is the purpose of Sea Search?
To provide passive electronic support capability for the detection, localization and classification of RF emitters
Explain the sea search antenna assembly.
There is an omnidirectional and a direction finding antenna on the mast. The DF antenna is a feed horn with a rotating reflector. There are two omni antennas covering 2-12 and 8-18 GHZ frequency bands.
Explain the sea search RF Distribution Unit
THE RFDU provides switching between the two antenna groups and a pre-amplifier for the tuner diplexer.
Explain the Sea Search tuner
The tuner is a super heterodyne receiver where initial signal processing occurs. The tuner is where the SLA-10 blanker is interfaced.
Explain the sea Search Data Processor.
The data processor is the brain of the system and is where control, analysis and identification functions are completed. This is where the pulse descriptor word, measuring frequency, pulse repetition interval (PRI), Pulse Width (PW), amplitude, and the first and last time seen is developed
Explain the Sea Search workstation.
The workstation is the HMI for the system. This is where search, mission, processing and reporting parameters are set and executed.
What are the sea search modes of operation?
1) Automatic - using a search scenario file
2) Manual - operator inputs the search criteria to look in a defined area.
What is the purpose of ELISRA?
To provide passive electronic support capability for the detection, localization and classification of RF emitters
What is the purpose of the ELISRA reception group?
To collect RF signals and convert them to electrical signals.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Omnidirectional Antenna Unit?
The OAU provides 360 degree coverage in the medium to very high bands (2-40 GHz)
What is the purpose of the ELISRA direction finding antenna array?
Located forward and aft of the mast, the DFAs are 21 element arrays are used for direction finding in the low to very high bands (0.7-40GHz).
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Radio Frequency Unit?
The RFU performs amplifies LB signals from the DFUs and MB-VHB signals from the OAU. Additionally, video in the MB-VHB is amplified by the RFU. It is located part way up the mast
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Signal Measurement Group?
The signal measurement group takes signals from the reception group, measures the signal characteristics and generates the Pulse Descriptor Word (PDW) for each signal.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Receiver and Direction Finding Unit?
The signal measurement group takes signals from the reception group, measures the signal characteristics and generates the Pulse Descriptor Word (PDW) for each signal.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Dual Channel Receiver and Processor Unit?
The DRPU is a dual superheterodyne receiver assembly that measures LB DFA signal parameters, determines LB Direction of Arrival and assembles the LB Pulse Descriptor Word.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Signal Processing Group
The Signal Processing Group is the brain of the system. It performs classification, analysis and identification functions using the PDW. Additionally, the Signal processing group receives IF signals from the DRPU for sampling and recording and interfaces to CMS and NDDS. The signal processing group is made up of the following subcomponents.
What is the Purpose of the ELISRA ESM equipment rack?
The ESM equipment rack contains the PCU, ISU, power supplies and the ethernet switch. The ethernet switch connects the subcomponents together and provides the interface for NDDS, CMS and the console.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Processing Computer Unit (PCU)
The PCU is the main computer which performs the following tasks:
1) Clustering – grouping PDWs that appear to be from a single emitter
2) De-interleaving – separating pulses into chains of pulses with similar features
3) Assignment – Assigning chains of pulses to existing emitters or new emitters
4) Identification – Comparing emitter parameters to the ELISRA library.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA IF Sampling and Recording Unit? (ISU)at
The ISU samples and records IF signals provided by the DRPU.
What is the purpose of the Analog Blanking Junction Box (ABJB)?
Converts the blanking signals from the SLA10 into blanking pulses for the ABJB.
What is the Purpose of the ELISRA Display and Control Group?
This is the HMI for the system and where data is analyzed via a GUI.
What is the purpose of the ELISRA Environmental Control Unit?
The ECU chiller is in the EWER and there is one ECU in each DFA. They supply the DFA with cooling liquid and dry air. The ECU interface with ships LP Air and chilled water.
What are the ELISRA modes of operation?
1) Operational - ELISRA is operating manually with operators observing interesting emitters, adjusting parameters and controlling what it passed to CMS.
2) Training - operator training in a simulated environment.
3) Playback - used t playback recorded signals
4) Maintenance - used for maintenance, fault isolation and software configuration.
What is the purpose of the Surveillance Radio Detector? (SRD 505)
To provide STJ with the capability to intercept and localize communication signals.
What is the purpose of the SRD Direction Finder Assembly?
It uses two sets of antenna elements to acquire, direction find and intercept communication signals. The signals are routed through beamforming networks to the interconnect box.
What antennas make up the SRD Direction Finding Assembly?
1) VHF2/UHF dipole antenna.
2) VHF1 Loop Antenna
3) 8 HF Low RCS loop antennas (pizza boxes)
4) Two monopulse omni antennas providing a reference signal.
What is the purpose of the SRD Interconnecting Box?
Provides all RF, digital, power and control interfaces between the DF assembly and the receiver group.
What is the purpose of the SRD Receiver group?
The receiver group collects the signals collected by the ICB and adds a GPS server time sync. The receiver group performs down conversion and digitization to extract signal information for analysis.
What is the purpose of the Control Indicator Group?
The CIG is the HMI for the system. Included in the CIG are the display, trackball, keyboard, spectrum analyzer and audio amplifier. The CIG operates using Window 7 with two terabyte hard drives.
What are the SRD modes of operation?
1) Automatic with no operator intervention and external DF tasks are given by CMS.
2) Manual where the system is operator controlled, and tracks are sent to CMS.
What is the purpose of the Multi-Ammunition Soft-kill System (MASS)?
To provide STJ with a softkill electronic attack (EA) capability against TV-, IR-, Radar-, Laser-, and Microwave-guided munitions.