DSB On Electronic Warfare

A recently unclassified Defense Science Board report which served as the impetus for the creation of the Electronic Warfare Executive Committee -- a high-level Pentagon panel that is now prioritizing new EW investments for fiscal year 2017 -- states that DOD must increase its annual spending on EW capabilities by $2.3 billion for the next five years, Inside Defense reported recently:

The DSB study identified three overarching needs, the first of which is to dynamically manage the electromagnetic spectrum. 

"The U.S. lacks not only current situational awareness of the crowded spectrum, but also lacks the ability to dynamically make efficient use of the spectrum and to deny it to adversaries," the report states. "This is a substantial technical challenge."

Secondly, the DSB recommends achieving near-real-time system adaptation.

"The speed at which modern digital electronics can shift operating modes and techniques has increased dramatically," the report states. "The U.S. needs to adapt its use of EW hardware and software faster to keep up with the speed inherent in today's electronics."

Lastly, the board contends that DOD must greatly shift its EW posture to offense.

"The study determined that the U.S. cannot afford to patch every EW deficiency in all of its military warfare systems," the report states. "To keep U.S. forces competitive, the U.S. needs to shift more to EW offense. This approach increases the burden on the adversary, imposes cost, and creates chaos in the adversary's environment. The U.S. can trade on that chaos for advantage in the fight."