David Axe
Security,
Can the U.S. Marine Corps apply F-35s ought salary electrical Warfare?
The U.S. Marine Corps is trying ought chart out how ought salary electrical 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 assault plane, at final bowed out of service at March 2019.
The Prowler carried AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods below its wings and either could eliminate High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, or HARMs. fleet and Marine Corps EA-6Bs suppressed and destroyed competitor stand defenses at each headmaster American bump backward 1970.
But by 2019 the Prowlers were old and maiden a little remained at service. The fleet retired its Prowlers at 2015. The final six Marine EA-6Bs spent their final months flying battle missions at the middle East.
The fleet replaced its EA-6Bs with new EA-18G Growlers, except 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 across a broad array of plane including stealth fighters and drones.
“The Marine aviation manner 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 across aviation platforms ought 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 ought replace the EA-6B’s hold jamming capability. The Marine Corps plans ought buy 420 F-35s ought replace, by 2030, sum 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 contain emitter geolocation, identification and parametric news sharing via attach 16 [data-link].”
In addition, future versions of the F-35 ought exist compatible with the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile, a new translation of the injure with a perfect seeker and software. The Marines either study 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 ought identify, monitor, analyze and answer ought latent threats,” according ought manufacturer BAE Systems. “Advanced avionics and sensors equip a real-time, 360-degree hint of the battlespace, helping ought maximize detection ranges and equip the astronaut with options ought evade, engage, counter or compress threats.”
But the Marines aren’t assuming the F-35 sum by itself will exist able ought oppress sum competitor stand defenses. The Corps either 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 hop 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 aid and electronic-attack capabilities,” the 2019 aviation blueprint states. “I.T. II deploys with each AV-8B ... detachment and has either 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 ability though 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 aid of the 15th, 31st, 26th and 13th [Marine Expeditionary Units].”
As of 2018, the Marines either planned ought add Intrepid Tiger II ought the recent RQ-21 drone and the future Marine Unmanned Expeditionary drone, or MUX. “The initial inquiry and make though an I.T. II E.W. payload above the RQ‐21 began at F.Y. ‘18,” the 2018 aviation blueprint explained. ‘Payload produce is planned though F.Y. ‘21‐’23. … Integrating I.T. II above the RQ‐21 will lay the base though farther E.W. expansion.”
“Future Marine aviation E.W. capabilities will either exist provided by MUX,” the 2018 blueprint continued. “In appendix ought providing continual reconnaissance/ surveillance and communications, MUX will either 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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