U.S. Air Force tests electronic warfare (EW) capabilities for combat aircraft in contested environments

Aug. 24, 2020
Events like this are the prime movers to test and evaluate emerging capabilities and technologies in an operationally realistic scenario.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force has concluded a two-day, $1.4 million exercise that evaluated the ability of the F-35 jet fighter-bomber to provide its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities to other stealthy reconnaissance and bombing planes. C4ISRnet reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

24 Aug. 2020 -- The event earlier this month at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., tested the ability for the F-35 to provide suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) support for other stealthy aircraft like the B-2 stealth bomber and the RQ-170 reconnaissance drone.

Other planes that participated included the F-22 and F-15 jet fighters, and the Navy’s E/A-18G EW aircraft. Some scenarios focused on how the latest fourth-gen electronic capabilities could increase fifth-gen freedom of maneuver in contested environments.

U.S. adversaries over the past several years have developed advanced radars to detect incoming combat aircraft, pairing them with long-range missiles that in many cases outgun U.S. military weapons.

Related: Navy taps BAE Systems to provide electronic warfare (EW) avionics for F-35 combat jet in $77.5 million deal

Related: L3Harris to upgrade AN/ALQ-214 electronic warfare (EW) avionics for Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet combat jets

Related: Electronic warfare technology heading-up the battlefield

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

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