Book Description

"High-end electronics technology that was once available only to defense system developers in a few large countries is today available worldwide and can be utilized by both large and small actors for electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. To address this situation, the Defense Science Board performed a year-long investigation of the ability to conduct U.S. military operations in a complex and congested electromagnetic environment. The study examined four operational support capabilities common to most military mission areas -- tactical communications; satellite communications; positioning, navigation and timing (PNT); and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Three representative mission areas were also examined -- tactical air combat, fleet defense, and ground warfare. Without exception, the ability to perform required functions and conduct required operations was seriously lacking in all seven areas in all but relatively benign EMS environments ... The study recommends several actions intended to mitigate the most critical deficiencies and vulnerabilities within the seven specific areas investigated. It is likely that looking at a more extensive set of mission and capability areas would have revealed similar issues in each. While addressing the individual deficiencies uncovered is important, the study also uncovered a number of foundational needs and strategies that underpin many areas of EW. Further recommendations treat these more ubiquitous deficiencies in three separate areas: 1) the need to manage use of the electromagnetic spectrum far better and more dynamically than today; 2) the need to adapt to EW-related events, either in terms of mitigating problems or taking advantage of opportunities, far faster than can currently be done; and 3) the need to shift more to offense because responding to every problem defensively will never get ahead of the adversary and is bound to be unaffordable. Lastly, the study found that the U.S. EW governance has largely atrophied since the fall of the Former Soviet Union in the mistaken belief that the threat has gone away or is not as serious as it once was ... The study offers an modest organizational recommendation to revitalize the DoD EW enterprise to meet 21st century needs"--Page 1.