Washington: The US Army is giving units in Europe and in the Pacific new electronic warfare equipment, marking what one service leader said was the first “reintroduction” of such tools since the Cold War.
The Army’s plan to reinvigorate electronic warfare capabilities has consisted of two paths. First, to provide a series of urgently needed tools to forces in theatre. The second is to procure a permanent system that will be outfitted to units across the Army.
The service had finished sending units in Europe interim equipment just before the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Similar efforts will continue through fiscal year 2021, Col Kevin Finch, programme manager for electronic warfare and cyber within Programme Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, said during a remote presentation at Aberdeen Proving Ground on June 10.
Army leaders say they are making progress in rebuilding the service’s electronic warfare capabilities through its ranks and its equipment.
These new systems include the Stryker mounted Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS) – an electronic support and electronic attack platform – and the Flyer72 mounted Tactical Electronic Warfare Light (TEWL) – an electronic support only platform.
Finch said the Army is working to create several new units to include tactical cyber units and EW companies and platoons to ensure the service has the right people to field those systems.
“We really have to make sure that our capabilities are aligned with the force structure that is being stood up,” he said, adding that these interim capabilities help with that.
The Army is also taking lessons from these tools to help inform its longer term system, the Terrestrial Layer System-Large (TLS), Finch said.
Finch described it as a game changer that will allow the brigade commander to be more effective in the electromagnetic spectrum. As the Army aims to become “multidomain capable” by 2028, Finch said TLS will be the centrepiece of what his office is doing for the ground brigade commander.
The Army’s capability development document for TLS was recently approved by the head of Futures Command and the service’s top acquisition officer approved the programme for middle-tier acquisition last month.
