Air Force to dig into electronic warfare for next ECCT

Air Force officials will focus on electronic spectrum dominance for the 2018 Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team study, Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mike Holmes said Monday.

Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson, who heads the Air Force Capability Development Council, chose an electronic warfare ECCT to inform how the service will contribute to the Defense Department's broader study of joint EW capabilities, Holmes said. It's unclear whether cyber warfare will be included as an aspect of EW.

The deep dive into electronic warfare will follow this year's look at multidomain command and control and last year's analysis of air superiority in 2030 and beyond. A study leader is yet to be appointed.

An EW analysis also comes after former ACC chief Gen. Hawk Carlisle said earlier this year the Air Force wanted to field a Penetrating Electronic Attack platform in the 2030s and as the Air Force begins moving the EC-130H Compass Call's EW mission equipment from Lockheed Martin C-130s to Gulfstream's G550 business jet.