EW Fundamentals Flashcards
As per FM 3–36, what is Electronic Warfare?
Electronic warfare is military action involving the use of electromagnetic and direct energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum or to attack the enemy.
What’s FM covers Electronic Warfare?
FM 3–36
As per FM 3–36, what is an operational environment?
An operational environment is a composite of the conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect the employment capabilities and bear on the decisions of the commander.
As per FM 3–36, what is the electromagnetic spectrum?
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies of EM radiation from zero to infinity. It is divided into 26 alphabetically designated bands. The spectrum is a continuum of all EM waves arranged according to frequency and wavelength.
IR
Infrared
EHF
Extremely high frequency
ELF
Extremely low frequency
GHz
Gigahertz
HF
High-frequency
LF
Low frequency
MF
Medium frequency
MHz
Megahertz
SHF
Super high frequency
UHF
Ultra high-frequency
UV
Ultraviolet
VHF
Very high-frequency
VLF
Very low frequency
EW consists of what three divisions?
Electronic attack (EA) Electronic protection (EP) Electronic warfare support (ES)
Name examples of systems and targets dependent on the EM spectrum.
Military communications Commercial communications Maritime sensors Airborne sensors Ground-based sensors Positioning/navigation/timing systems Foreign media Weapons of mass destruction Improvised explosive devices Space-based sensors and relays Motors and generators Electrical fuses Infrastructures Network apertures Personnel Deeply buried targets
Electronic Attack (EA)
The use of electromagnetic energy, directed energy, or anti-radiation weapons to attack personnel, facilities, or equipment with the intent of degrading, neutralizing, or destroying enemy combat capability and is considered a form of fires.
What are “principal EW activities?”
Principal EW activities support unified land operations by exploiting the opportunities and vulnerabilities inherent in the use of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Electronic Attack (EA) includes:
Electromagnetic jamming (CREW) Electromagnetic deception Directed energy Anti-radiation missile Expendables (such as flares and active decoys)
EA activities (6):
Countermeasures EM deception EM intrusion EM jamming EM pulse EM probing
Electronic Protection (EP)
Actions taken to protect personnel, facilities, and equipment from any effects of friendly or enemy use of the electromagnetic spectrum that degrade, neutralize, or destroy from a combat capability.
Electronic Protection (EP) includes:
Spectrum management
Electromagnetic hardening
Emission control
Reprogramming
Electronic Warfare Support (ES)
Actions task by, or under the direct control of, and operational commander to search for, intercept, identify, and locate or localize sources of intentional and unintentional radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition, targeting, planning, and conduct of future operations.
EP activities (8):
Electronic Warfare Support (ES) include:
Threat warning
Collection supporting electronic warfare
Direction finding
ES activities (3):
Electronic reconnaissance
Electronic intelligence
Electronic security
Define “Countermeasures.”
Countermeasures are that form of military science that, by the employment of devices and/or
techniques, has as its objective the impairment of the operational effectiveness of enemy activity (JP 1-02).
They can be deployed preemptively or reactively. Devices and techniques used for EW countermeasures include electro-optical-infrared countermeasures and radio frequency countermeasures.
Define “Electro-optical-infrared countermeasures.”
Electro-optical-infrared countermeasures consist of any device or technique employing electrooptical-
infrared materials or technology that is intended to impair or counter the effectiveness of enemy
activity, particularly with respect to precision guided weapons and sensor systems. Electro-optical-infrared is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between the high end of the far infrared and the low end of ultraviolet. Electro-optical-infrared countermeasures may use laser and broadband jammers, smokes/aerosols, signature suppressants, decoys, pyrotechnics/pyrophorics, high-energy lasers, or directed infrared energy countermeasures (JP 3-13.1).
Define “Radio Frequency Countermeasures.”
Radio frequency countermeasures consist of any device or technique employing radio frequency
materials or technology that is intended to impair the effectiveness of or counter enemy activity,
particularly with respect to precision guided weapons and sensor systems (JP 3-13.1).
Define “Electromagnetic Deception.”
Electromagnetic deception is the deliberate radiation, reradiation, alteration, suppression, absorption, denial, enhancement, or reflection of electromagnetic energy in a manner intended to convey misleading information to an enemy or to enemy electromagnetic-dependent weapons, thereby degrading or neutralizing the enemy’s combat capability (JP 3-13.4). Among the types of electromagnetic deception are the following:
Define “Electromagnetic Intrusion.”
Electromagnetic intrusion is the intentional insertion of electromagnetic energy into transmission
paths in any manner, with the objective of deceiving operators or of causing confusion (JP 1-02).
Define “Electromagnetic Jamming.”
Electromagnetic jamming is the deliberate radiation, re-radiation, or reflection of electromagnetic energy for the purpose of preventing or reducing an enemy’s effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum, with the intent of degrading or neutralizing the enemy’s combat capability (JP 1-02).
Define “Electromagnetic Pulse.”
Electromagnetic pulse is the electromagnetic radiation from a strong electronic pulse, most
commonly caused by a nuclear explosion that may couple with electrical or electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges (JP 1-02).