Electronic Warfare Systems Development

The CSR Abbreviated Capabilities Development Document (A-CDD) was signed on 8 January 2024. We are chartered to develop a family of terrestrial EW effectors to counter space-based surveillance threats. CSR non-kinetic effects will disrupt enemy kill chains by protecting and concealing friendly maneuver. CSR will provide three distinct classified counter-space surveillance Lines of Effort (LOE) and mission planner software to orchestrate CSR non-kinetic effects. The FY 2027 cost of the CSR Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is $81,038 million, including RDT&E and Development of prototypes. The Department will certify FYDP funding in a future budget submission. The total cost of the Counter Surveillance Reconnaissance Middle Tier of Acquisition effort is $422,574 million from FY2026 to FY2031. The remainder of the Counter Surveillance Reconnaissance program is fully funded across the Future Years Defense Program.

Current military operations are conducted in a rapidly changing threat environment, where Infra-Red (IR) man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) seekers, radar guided surface-to-air-missiles (SAM), laser guided weapons (LGW), Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), and targeting sensors are proliferating and technically evolving. Integrated solutions are required to counter increasingly sophisticated Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) Peer and Near Peer threats. The ARAT EW enterprise supports the tactical Commander by providing timely rapid reprogramming of mission software and information dissemination for the Army. ARAT supports integrated reprogramming of target acquisition, target engagement, platform survivability systems, and Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE). The ARAT rapid-reprogramming EW enterprise supports tactical requirements and readiness for deployed aircraft and ground-based terrestrial systems. ARAT identifies and analyzes threat signature changes which affect EW systems; determines the impact of observed signature changes; develops new mission software solutions to adapt the system to the threat changes; disseminates the mission software; and provides methods to upload the new mission software into the affected EW systems. Each element within the ARAT infrastructure plays a specific role within the program's rapid reprogramming process, providing the Soldier with the capability to install mission and target identification software at the lowest possible level, thus maximizing flexibility for tactical Commanders. ARAT participates in the operational and developmental test design of Army EW systems and supports Joint Service Reprogramming Exercises in all theaters. ARAT Research and Development enables continuous development of: 1) automated threat analysis tools to rapidly detect threat changes within the intelligence system, 2) tools to minimize the time to develop Mission Software and Products (MSP), 3) tools and technology to minimize the time required to test and validate MSPs, 4) improved communications conduits to rapidly transmit mission software to upload into supported EW systems to forward deployed combat forces. These efforts allow for rapid threat analysis, threat modeling and simulation, mission software development and testing, distribution and uploading of mission software directly to the supported Soldier on the edge.

Adversaries are aggressively developing and fielding counter- Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies that significantly reduce the Army's ability to conduct military operations. The Army is actively pursuing Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) Attack capabilities to produce NAVWAR solutions that leverage Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) capabilities to Soldiers ensuring PNT overmatch by denying adversary access to PNT services. NAVWAR Attack provides deliberate offensive and defensive capabilities to assure friendly use and prevent adversarial exploitation of PNT information through coordinated employment of Space, Cyberspace, and EW capabilities. NAVWAR Attack will provide Warfighters with the ability to understand the GPS/GNSS environment and to produce effects across the battlefield opening windows of opportunity for PNT superiority for friendly forces against adversaries. NAVWAR Attack supports Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) as an enabler to precision fires, movement and maneuver, force tracking, and a host of data networks that tie personnel and weapon systems together into a joint or coalition force. NAVWAR enables Cyber, EW, and Space Operations Officers the ability to plan missions with NAVWAR Attack Planning and Targeting Software and execute missions with NAVWAR Attack Modules supporting friendly PNT superiority in multiple warfighting functions to include Jamming, Cyber, and Munitions. NAVWAR has been identified as a key enabler for multiple wartime scenarios by the 2024 EW Tabletop Exercise and mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act of FY24 (H.R. 2670).

Spectrum Situational Awareness System (S2AS) supports Army key modernization initiatives by allowing commanders to sense and see themselves in the Electro- Magnetic Spectrum (EMS), preventing electronic fratricide, helping shape the electronic operating environment, and increasing Command Post (CP) survivability. Operationally S2AS allows commanders to determine and impact their visibility to enemy fire chain. S2AS is a dedicated EMS situational awareness management system that provides the Commander with real time EMS Situational Awareness to support Emissions Control (EMCON) decisions, Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Resolution, and detect/warn operations centers of unauthorized or intentional sources of interference on today's complex battlefield. S2AS will employ sophisticated hardware and software to strengthen the capabilities of the Army and ensuring resilience against potential adversarial threats. S2AS will address current and future EMS challenges, ensuring awareness and secure use of the EMS. Details provided under separate cover.

Electromagnetic warfare (EW) capability gaps pose growing risks to the Army operational effectiveness, requiring strategic investments in next-generation solutions. Investment in developing advanced countermeasures and integration of artificial intelligence with advanced analytics are required to maintain operational superiority, as adversaries continue to advance their own EW technologies and tactics. Funding is intended to support the development of a Next-Generation modular, scalable multi-mission. EW suite of capabilities for a broad range of modern radio frequency-controlled threats. Efforts include the development and integration of new and existing techniques, as well as targeted hardware and software upgrades to improve threat identification, reduce response time, and increase overall mission effectiveness. These investments directly support Transformation in Contact (TiC) objectives and comply with relevant Presidential Directives, ensuring alignment with broader defense modernization priorities.