Ship Self Def (Engage: Soft Kill/EW)

The Long Endurance Electronic Decoy (LEED) program will deliver an expendable long endurance autonomous off-board decoy Countermeasure system, comprised of a flight vehicle and Radio Frequency (RF) payload with modular capability allowing for rapid modification of the Electronic Warfare (EW) capability. LEED development executes under a Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping (MTA RP) strategy pursuant to Section 804 of the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. LEED will integrate with SLQ-32 and address EW gaps in response to a fleet requirement to counter Anti-Ship Missile (ASM) threats. LEED will provide the fleet with enhanced EW coordination and capability, including the ability to stretch engagement timelines and counter legacy, modern, and future heterogeneous missile attacks. The overarching LEED strategy consists of two phases including a MTA RP phase followed by Major Capability Acquisition. The MTA RP phase will include Preliminary and Integrated Countermeasure Prototype Development (FY 2021-FY 2025) and Integrated System Testing (FY 2025-FY 2026). The MTA RP phase includes the development and test of operational-level Countermeasure prototypes, launch systems, and control software that demonstrate and validate critical capabilities; including flight performance, control, and payload functionality. Data collected from the initial prototypes will be used to develop Engineering Development Models (EDMs) for Qualification Testing to support a Milestone C decision for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) as LEED enters the Major Capability Acquisition phase. FY 2027 funding requests supports planned improvements and subsequent testing of the LEED prototype system to include technique advancement, software updates, tactic updates, system effectiveness assessments, improvements in targeted technical performance measurements, necessary material purchases for test and evaluation activities, cybersecurity advancement, and development of a countermeasure model to support system of systems modeling and simulation activities. Funding also supports further integration with shipboard EW and combat systems and advancement of systems of systems interoperability, testing, and subsequent curriculum updates. Funding request supports prototype shipset hardware completion and installation aboard a US ship.

Scaled Onboard Electronic Attack (SOEA) is an incremental development program by the USN to provide an advanced Electronic Attack (EA) capability against anti-ship missiles. The program is intended to be scalable for Surface Combatants with size, weight, power, and cooling (SWaP-C) constraints that cannot support AN/SLQ-32(V)7; however, it is not intended to replace AN/SLQ-32(V)7. SOEA development executes under a Middle Tier of Acquisition Rapid Prototyping acquisition strategy pursuant to Section 804 of the FY16 National Defense Authorization Act. The SOEA Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) leverages technology developed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). SOEA's acquisition strategy consists of two phases: Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Fielding. SOEA Phase 1 includes prototyping of critical technology elements (CTEs) via Defense Microelectronics Agency (DMEA) contract agreements to prove out and validate critical performance capability, system architecture functionality, supportability requirements and improvements that build on the CTEs. SOEA Phase 2 will focus on fielding initial capability through the producibility of the Phase 1 prototype, continuing hardware and software improvements to meet full capability objectives, continuing external interfaces for system and platform integration, continuing training module development via the Surface Electronic Warfare Tactical Trainer (SEWTT) and completing Modeling & Simulation (M&S) to support further testing. SOEA will continue to expand the integrated shipboard combat system by providing new integrated EA capability and will be integrated with AN/SLQ-32(V)6. SOEA also includes a government software development and integration effort for a Soft-Kill Coordinator System (SKCS) to manage EA engagements. The FY27 budget request for SOEA supports the continuation of Phase 1 Rapid Prototyping, including performance testing, SEWTT training module development, Modeling & Simulation (M&S) and SKCS integration. The FY27 budget request also supports the initiation of SOEA Phase 2 Rapid Fielding which supports further land-based and environmental testing, initiates software and hardware baseline upgrades, and supports acquisition of additional prototype units.

EW Rapid Capability Insertion Process (RCIP) identifies system and mission capability gaps by analyzing EW baseline and fleet requirements, prioritizes those gaps based on fleet input and critical technology maturity, and develops upgrades to the AN/SLQ-32(V) product line to address those gaps. RCIP also integrates Future Naval Capability (FNC) programs into SEWIP. The Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) provides incremental upgrades to the AN/SLQ-32 and consists of Blocks 1A, 1B, 2, and 3, the Soft Kill Coordination System (SKCS), SEWIP Lite, and Scaled Onboard Electronic Attack (SOEA). The FY27 budget request supports continued development, test, and integration of SKCS with AEGIS Baseline (BL) 9 and BL 10, continues RCIP #8 to improve anti-ship missile defense capability of SLQ-32(V)6/7 when operating with other netted EW sensors and effectors, continues RCIP #6 efforts to implement Built In Test, and Signal Processing and continues RCIP #10, #11,#12, and #13 Measurement Based Adaptive Response, the Electronic Warfare (EW) Planning Aid, the Tactical Simulator (TACSIM) Technology Refresh, and MK-59, SLQ-32(V)6 and (V)7 Integration.

The Offboard Active Decoy (Nulka) is a joint cooperative program between the United States and Australia that developed an active offboard decoy that utilizes a broadband radio frequency repeater mounted atop a hovering rocket. Nulka counters a wide variety of present and future radar guided Anti-Ship Missiles (ASMs) by radiating a large radar cross section while flying a ship-like trajectory. The United States developed the electronic payload and fire control system, while Australia developed the hovering rocket. The FY 2027 budget request includes Decoy Launcher Processor (DLP) Nulka Objective Architecture, Decoy Launch Message Converter (DLMC) backward compatibility technology with Soft Kill Coordination System (SKCS), as well as funding to commence Nulka Payload Improvements for EW capability. The Objective Architecture development will continue which provides improved Nulka decoy deployment as well as SKCS integration.

SEWIP Block 3 is developing an advanced Electronic Attack (EA) capability to keep pace with the evolving Anti-Ship Missile (ASM) threat and counter-targeting required for the AN/SLQ-32(V) system. SEWIP Block 3 will provide the AN/SLQ-32(V)7 system for all surface ships (CVN, DDG, LHD) outfitted with the active variant of the AN/SLQ-32, mainly the (V)3 and (V)4, as well as select new construction platforms. The SEWIP Block 3 Acquisition leverages technology developed under the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Integrated Topside (InTop) Science and Technology (S&T) effort. SEWIP Block 3 will continue to expand the integrated shipboard combat system by providing new integrated EA transmitter, arrays, and associated EA techniques. The AN/SLQ-32(V)7 integrates the new EA countermeasure (SEWIP Block 3) with the AN/SLQ-32(V)6. The AN/SLQ-32(V)6 includes an Electronic Support (ES) receiver (SEWIP Block 2), a display console, and backend electronics. SEWIP Block 3 includes the government software development and integration effort for a SoftKill Coordinator (SKC) to manage EA engagements. SEWIP Block 3 is developing an Electronic Warfare Test Bed (EWTB) to validate system performance via modeling and simulation. SEWIP Block 3 is also investigating higher efficiency Gallium Nitride (GaN) High Power Amplifiers (HPA). GaN HPAs are used in maritime advanced technology radar and surface electronic warfare systems. For radar and electronic warfare systems, this will yield technology to incorporate and integrate into radar and electronic warfare Transmit/Receive Module designs, with a beneficial impact of improved Power Added Efficiency (PAE) for these systems resulting in a reduction in power draw from ship's service electrical power for the same radar and electronic warfare system performance. To keep pace with evolving ASM threats and counter-targeting, SEWIP Block 3 will incorporate capability improvements via a technology insertion plan. This capability improvement plan will mature and develop technologies and software/firmware to expand and improve capability for insertion into SEWIP Block 3. Technology solutions will result in technical data packages and tactical software with Government-owned data rights.

The Advanced Offboard EW (AOEW) program was for the development of long duration off-board decoys integrated with onboard systems for EW coordination to counter identified EW gaps (additional details classified) in response to an urgent operational need. Divestment of AOEW is starting in FY 2026. AOEW Capability Development Document (CDD) was cancelled and requirements were transferred to other programs.