Electronic warfare (EW) has three main components:

• Electronic Attack (EA)
  This is the active use of the electromagnetic spectrum to deny its use by an adversary. Most EA activity is in the form of jamming or electromagnetic deception. EA can also include the use of devices that employ electromagnetic or directed energy weapons in order to destroy enemy vehicles and incapacitate or kill opposing infantry forces. An older term for EA is Electronic countermeasures (ECM).

• Electronic Protection (EP)
  This includes all activities related to making enemy EA activities less successful by means of protecting friendly personnel, facilities, equipment or objectives. EP can also be implemented to prevent friendly forces from being affected by their own EA. Active EP includes technical modifications to radio equipment (such as frequency-hopping spread spectrum), while passive EP includes education of operators (enforcing strict discipline) and modified battlefield tactics or operations. Older terms for EP are Electronic protective measures (EPM) and Electronic Counter Counter Measures (ECCM).

• Electronic Support (ES)
  This is the passive use of the electromagnetic spectrum to gain intelligence about other parties on the battlefield and to find, identify, locate and intercept potential threats or targets. This intelligence might be used directly as fire missions for artillery or air strike orders, for mobilisation of friendly forces to a specific location or objective on the battlefield or as the basis of EA/EP actions. Older term for ES is Electronic warfare support measures (ESM).

EA and active EP can be detected by an adversary due to their active transmissions. ES, however, can be conducted without the enemy ever knowing it. Its strategic counterpart, SIGINT is continuously performed by most of the world's countries in order to gain intelligence about potential enemies' electronic equipment and tactics.

See also

• Association of Old Crows
• Battle of Latakia
• ELINT
• EF-111A Raven
• EA-6B Prowler
• EA-18G Growler
• RC-12 Guardrail
• Joint Functional Component Command for Network Warfare
• U.S. Marine Corps Radio Reconnaissance
• Interactive Scenario Builder
• Active Denial System
• Electromagnetic bomb
• Network-centric warfare

References

• Electronic Warfare in Operation Desert Storm
• EW Tutorial
• Association of Old Crows
• Electronic Warfare Jamming Systems

Electronic warfare

Elektronisk krigsførelse | Elektronische Kampfführung | Guerra electrónica | חוסם ל"א | Elektroninen sodankäynti