US must win electronic warfare or its troops will lose very quickly

Future wars may be decided by who wins electronic warfare as it happens now in the war in Ukraine, where both sides are trying to disrupt the enemy's communications, destroy its unmanned combat platforms and reduce the enemy's ability to strike the target with pinpoint accuracy, writes Business Insider.

In the case of the United States, if they fail to dominate this invisible war and win the battle in the electromagnetic spectrum, they will "lose very quickly," warned a US Air Force commander.

US Army Brigadier General Ed Barker, Chief of the Intelligence Program, Electronic Warfare, and US Air Force Col. Josh Koslov, Commander of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, discussed the challenges facing the US in electronic warfare and the efforts that can be made to find solutions.

"Electronic warfare is a weapon, as are other combat systems, such as artillery," Koslov said. "And the ability to integrate these weapons in support of the combined force commander's scheme of maneuver is more important now than it has ever been." Both Barker and Koslov have indicated that in a "battle with powerful adversaries like China or Russia, warfare in the electromagnetic spectrum will be very difficult and that the US must maintain its advantage.

The U.S. recognizes the growing importance of electronic warfare in its warfighting strategies and asserts that it must be able to use these measures offensively, not just defensively.

The fighting in Ukraine is increasingly using electronic warfare tactics, such as GPS jamming, that can make a difference on the battlefield. The US has noted that some of its more advanced weapons using precision munitions have been degraded by Russian electronic warfare systems. Daniel Patt, a researcher at the Hudson Institute, wrote in a statement to the US Congress that Excalibur GPS-guided artillery shells "were 70% effective". at the start of the war in Ukraine, but that "after six weeks, their effectiveness dropped to 6% as the Russians adapted their electronic warfare systems to counter them".

The combat tactics used by the Russians have also affected the HIMARS and JDAM missiles. Pat explained that the weapons are most effective in the first two weeks after they are introduced to the battlefield, after which the Russians take the necessary steps to counter the new threat. This information could be vital in a future war with a great power like China or Russia.

"We must treat the electromagnetic spectrum as a "battlefield". You have to have the ability to hang on, you have to be able to maneuver in that terrain, and you have to be able to engage the enemy," Barker said. "Electronic warfare is a complex problem for which there is no "silver bullet" or quick fix".