David Axe
Security,
Can the U.S. Marine Corps avail F-35s to salary electric Warfare?
The U.S. Marine Corps is trying to mould out how to salary electric war now that the service has retired the final of its EA-6B Prowler radar-jamming planes.
The Prowler, a four-seat translation of the long-retired, two-seat A-6 aggression plane, at length bowed out of service at March 2019.
The Prowler carried AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods under its wings and although well could remove High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs. fleet and Marine Corps EA-6Bs suppressed and destroyed competitor stand defenses at each main American bump after 1970.
But by 2019 the Prowlers were old and sole a few remained at service. The fleet retired its Prowlers at 2015. The final six Marine EA-6Bs spent their final months flying war missions at the center East.
The fleet replaced its EA-6Bs with new EA-18G Growlers, besides 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 across a broad array of airplane including stealth fighters and drones.
“The Marine aviation manner to electromagnetic-spectrum operations is a distributed, platform‐agnostic strategy,” the Corps explained at its 2018 aviation plan. “Marine aviation is integrating E.W. systems and Intrepid Tiger II payloads across aviation platforms to equip commanders with an organic and faithful airborne E.W. capability.”
For starters, the Marines are counting at the F-35 stealth fighter with its powerful AN/ASQ-239 electronic-warfare suite, datalink and new weapons partially to replace the EA-6B’s possess 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 compound of [electronic warfare], weapons, sensors and reduced signature to the [Marine Air-Ground work Force],” the Corps explains at its 2019 aviation plan. “F-35 E.W. capabilities embrace emitter geolocation, identification and parametric news sharing via unite 16 [data-link].”
In addition, future versions of the F-35 to exist compatible with the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a new translation of the injure with a better seeker and software. The Marines although well confide that the F-35’s electronically-scanned-array radar could, with modification, double although 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 reply to latent threats,” according to manufacturer BAE Systems. “Advanced avionics and sensors equip a real-time, 360-degree advice of the battlespace, helping to maximize detection ranges and equip the astronaut with options to evade, engage, counter or squeeze threats.”
But the Marines aren’t assuming the F-35 complete by itself will exist capable to oppress complete competitor stand defenses. The Corps although well is developing the Intrepid Tiger II, a radio- and radar-jamming pod that’s compatible with around any rotorcraft or fixed-wing plane. The Corps is integrating I.T. II at its AV-8B leap jets, UH-1Y fetch 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 plan states. “I.T. II deploys with each AV-8B ... detachment and has although well completed eight ... deployments with UH-1Y detachments.”
“I.T. II integration with KC-130J ... will exist completed and fielded at [fiscal year] ‘19. development of an I.T. II counter-radar capacity although the MV-22B began at F.Y. ’16, [research and development] is ongoing across F.Y. ‘21. Throughout F.Y.18 I.T. II was deployed at uphold of the 15th, 31st, 26th and 13th [Marine Expeditionary Units].”
As of 2018, the Marines although well planned to add Intrepid Tiger II to the contemporary RQ-21 drone and the future Marine Unmanned Expeditionary drone, or MUX. “The initial investigation and mould although an I.T. II E.W. payload at the RQ‐21 began at F.Y. ‘18,” the 2018 aviation plan explained. ‘Payload product is planned although F.Y. ‘21‐’23. … Integrating I.T. II at the RQ‐21 will lay the basis although farther E.W. expansion.”
“Future Marine aviation E.W. capabilities will although well exist provided by MUX,” the 2018 plan continued. “In addition to providing faithful reconnaissance/ surveillance and communications, MUX will although well equip a long-range, persistent, penetrating, responsive, airborne [electronic-warfare] capability.”
David Axe serves although 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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