David Axe
Security,
Can the U.S. Marine Corps employ F-35s to allowance electric Warfare?
The U.S. Marine Corps is trying to revolve out how to allowance electric warfare 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 assault plane, can the intimate bowed out of service at March 2019.
The Prowler carried AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods beneath its wings and also could remove High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs. fleet and Marine Corps EA-6Bs suppressed and destroyed competitor stand defenses at each major American shock after 1970.
But by 2019 the Prowlers were old and sole a little remained at service. The fleet retired its Prowlers at 2015. The final six Marine EA-6Bs spent their final months flying campaign missions at the center East.
The fleet replaced its EA-6Bs with new EA-18G Growlers, besides during 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 over a broad array of plane including stealth fighters and drones.
“The Marine aviation method 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 over aviation platforms to equip commanders with an organic and continual airborne E.W. capability.”
For starters, the Marines are counting above 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, total of its older fixed-wing jets.
“The F-35 brings a powerful blend 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 contain emitter geolocation, identification and parametric information sharing via blend 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 wound with a improve seeker and software. The Marines also imagine that the F-35’s electronically-scanned-array radar could, with modification, double though 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 equip a real-time, 360-degree sentiment of the battlespace, helping to maximize detection ranges and equip the astronaut with options to evade, engage, counter or press threats.”
But the Marines aren’t assuming the F-35 total by itself will exist capable to oppress total competitor stand defenses. The Corps also is developing the Intrepid Tiger II, a radio- and radar-jamming pod that’s compatible with approximately any rotorcraft or fixed-wing plane. The Corps is integrating I.T. II above its AV-8B hop jets, UH-1Y make helicopters, KC-130J aerial tankers and MV-22B tiltrotors.
“I.T. II is an E.W. payload providing communications electronic-warfare help and electronic-attack capabilities,” the 2019 aviation project states. “I.T. II deploys with each AV-8B ... detachment and has also 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 because the MV-22B began at F.Y. ’16, [research and development] is ongoing over F.Y. ‘21. Throughout F.Y.18 I.T. II was deployed at help of the 15th, 31st, 26th and 13th [Marine Expeditionary Units].”
As of 2018, the Marines also planned to add Intrepid Tiger II to the tendency RQ-21 drone and the future Marine Unmanned Expeditionary drone, or MUX. “The initial investigation and create because an I.T. II E.W. payload above the RQ‐21 began at F.Y. ‘18,” the 2018 aviation project explained. ‘Payload manufacture is planned because F.Y. ‘21‐’23. … Integrating I.T. II above the RQ‐21 will lay the foundation because farther E.W. expansion.”
“Future Marine aviation E.W. capabilities will also exist provided by MUX,” the 2018 project continued. “In addition to providing continual reconnaissance/ surveillance and communications, MUX will also equip a long-range, persistent, penetrating, responsive, airborne [electronic-warfare] capability.”
David Axe serves though 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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