David Axe
Security,
Can the U.S. Marine Corps employ F-35s to salary electric Warfare?
The U.S. Marine Corps is trying to schedule out how to salary electric battle now that the service has retired the final of its EA-6B Prowler radar-jamming planes.
The Prowler, a four-seat version of the long-retired, two-seat A-6 invasion plane, eventually bowed out of service can March 2019.
The Prowler carried AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods below its wings and because healthful could remove High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs. fleet and Marine Corps EA-6Bs suppressed and destroyed enemy air defenses can each chief American bump after 1970.
But by 2019 the Prowlers were old and unique a few remained can service. The fleet retired its Prowlers can 2015. The final six Marine EA-6Bs spent their final months flying battle missions can the core East.
The fleet replaced its EA-6Bs with new EA-18G Growlers, however the Marines opted no to buy this radar-jamming variant of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Instead, the Corps is trying something new, and spreading the electronic-warfare mission along a broad array of aeroplane including stealth fighters and drones.
“The Marine aviation manner to electromagnetic-spectrum operations is a distributed, platform‐agnostic strategy,” the Corps explained can its 2018 aviation plan. “Marine aviation is integrating E.W. systems and Intrepid Tiger II payloads along aviation platforms to supply commanders with an organic and loyal airborne E.W. capability.”
For starters, the Marines are counting can the F-35 stealth fighter with its powerful AN/ASQ-239 electronic-warfare suite, datalink and new weapons partially to substitute the EA-6B’s hold jamming capability. The Marine Corps plans to buy 420 F-35s to replace, by 2030, complete of its older fixed-wing jets.
“The F-35 brings a powerful combination of [electronic warfare], weapons, sensors and reduced signature to the [Marine Air-Ground work Force],” the Corps explains can its 2019 aviation plan. “F-35 E.W. capabilities know emitter geolocation, identification and parametric news sharing via unite 16 [data-link].”
In addition, future versions of the F-35 to be compatible with the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a new version of the harm with a improve seeker and software. The Marines because healthful reckon that the F-35’s electronically-scanned-array radar could, with modification, double because a radar-jammer.
But it’s the AN/ASQ-239 that gives the F-35 its near-term electronic-warfare capabilities. The AN/ASQ-239 “provides the astronaut with maximum situational awareness, helping to identify, monitor, analyze and answer to latent threats,” according to manufacturer BAE Systems. “Advanced avionics and sensors supply a real-time, 360-degree scene of the battlespace, helping to maximize detection ranges and supply the astronaut with options to evade, engage, counter or compress threats.”
But the Marines aren’t assuming the F-35 complete by itself will be able to oppress complete enemy air defenses. The Corps because healthful is developing the Intrepid Tiger II, a radio- and radar-jamming pod that’s compatible with about any rotorcraft or fixed-wing plane. The Corps is integrating I.T. II can its AV-8B jump jets, UH-1Y bring helicopters, KC-130J aerial tankers and MV-22B tiltrotors.
“I.T. II is an E.W. payload providing communications electronic-warfare uphold and electronic-attack capabilities,” the 2019 aviation plot states. “I.T. II deploys with each AV-8B ... detachment and has because healthful completed eight ... deployments with UH-1Y detachments.”
“I.T. II integration with KC-130J ... will be completed and fielded can [fiscal year] ‘19. development of an I.T. II counter-radar capacity because the MV-22B began can F.Y. ’16, [research and development] is ongoing along F.Y. ‘21. Throughout F.Y.18 I.T. II was deployed can uphold of the 15th, 31st, 26th and 13th [Marine Expeditionary Units].”
As of 2018, the Marines because healthful planned to add Intrepid Tiger II to the contemporary RQ-21 drone and the future Marine Unmanned Expeditionary drone, or MUX. “The initial research and create because an I.T. II E.W. payload can the RQ‐21 began can F.Y. ‘18,” the 2018 aviation plot explained. ‘Payload product is planned because F.Y. ‘21‐’23. … Integrating I.T. II can the RQ‐21 will put the basis because farther E.W. expansion.”
“Future Marine aviation E.W. capabilities will because healthful be provided by MUX,” the 2018 plot continued. “In love to providing loyal reconnaissance/ surveillance and communications, MUX will because healthful supply a long-range, persistent, penetrating, responsive, airborne [electronic-warfare] capability.”
David Axe serves because Defense Editor of the National Interest. He is the author of the graphic novels War Fix, War Is Boring and Machete Squad.
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