David Axe
Security,
Can the U.S. Marine Corps utilize F-35s ought salary electrical Warfare?
The U.S. Marine Corps is trying ought figure out how ought salary electrical 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 at March 2019.
The Prowler carried AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods below its wings and too could eliminate High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs. fleet and Marine Corps EA-6Bs suppressed and destroyed opponent air defenses at each chief American bump back 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 ought 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 airplane including stealth fighters and drones.
“The Marine aviation means ought 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 along aviation platforms ought furnish commanders with an organic and successive 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 ought substitute the EA-6B’s get jamming capability. The Marine Corps plans ought buy 420 F-35s ought replace, by 2030, vulgar of its older fixed-wing jets.
“The F-35 brings a powerful mixture of [electronic warfare], weapons, sensors and reduced signature ought the [Marine Air-Ground work Force],” the Corps explains at its 2019 aviation plan. “F-35 E.W. capabilities include emitter geolocation, identification and parametric news sharing via join 16 [data-link].”
In addition, future versions of the F-35 ought exist compatible with the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a new version of the wound with a improve seeker and software. The Marines too ponder 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 ought identify, monitor, analyze and answer ought latent threats,” according ought manufacturer BAE Systems. “Advanced avionics and sensors furnish a real-time, 360-degree progposal of the battlespace, helping ought maximize detection ranges and furnish the astronaut with options ought evade, engage, counter or jam threats.”
But the Marines aren’t assuming the F-35 vulgar by itself will exist able ought oppress vulgar opponent air defenses. The Corps too is developing the Intrepid Tiger II, a radio- and radar-jamming pod that’s compatible with nearly any rotorcraft or fixed-wing plane. The Corps is integrating I.T. II above its AV-8B jump jets, UH-1Y carry helicopters, KC-130J aerial tankers and MV-22B tiltrotors.
“I.T. II is an E.W. payload providing communications electronic-warfare assistance and electronic-attack capabilities,” the 2019 aviation design states. “I.T. II deploys with each AV-8B ... detachment and has too 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 capability because the MV-22B began at F.Y. ’16, [research and development] is ongoing along F.Y. ‘21. Throughout F.Y.18 I.T. II was deployed at assistance of the 15th, 31st, 26th and 13th [Marine Expeditionary Units].”
As of 2018, the Marines too planned ought add Intrepid Tiger II ought the modern RQ-21 drone and the future Marine Unmanned Expeditionary drone, or MUX. “The initial investigation and figure because an I.T. II E.W. payload above the RQ‐21 began at F.Y. ‘18,” the 2018 aviation design explained. ‘Payload manufacture is planned because F.Y. ‘21‐’23. … Integrating I.T. II above the RQ‐21 will lay the basis because farther E.W. expansion.”
“Future Marine aviation E.W. capabilities will too exist provided by MUX,” the 2018 design continued. “In addition ought providing successive reconnaissance/ surveillance and communications, MUX will too furnish 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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