JED - February 2015 - (Page 12)

message f rom the pre side nt EW TRANSITIONS: KNOWING WHEN TO ACT Association of Old Crows 1000 North Payne Street, Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22314-1652 Phone: (703) 549-1600 Fax: (703) 549-2589 PRESIDENT Ken Israel VICE PRESIDENT Dave Hime SECRETARY Vickie Greenier TREASURER Joe Koesters PAST PRESIDENT Wayne Shaw "C The Journal of Electronic Defense | February 2015 12 oncede the theory and you will have no trouble in practice," said Winston Churchill. The operational driving metric for any air platform is flying hour costs. The flying hour cost of a B-2 is more than $100K+ per hour; an F-35 is between $40K and 50K per hour; an F-16 is $25K per hour, whereas an MQ-1 is $4K per hour. A friend of mine came up with the comparative term: pound hour per kilodollar. By that, he meant how much does it cost to put a sized payload, measured in pounds, over a threat area for a specified amount of time. Another way of saying this is cost per flying hour. It is clear after extensive analysis (and after debunking the arguments of self-appointed critics) that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are cheaper to operate. In a world where persistence is considered an asymmetric advantage, being able to hover over a potential threat area is vital. I was often criticized for supporting UAVs because they did not have digital curiosity. Yes, I would respond, but they also do not suffer from digital fatigue. It is natural then to realize the progression of integrating UAVs with different payloads (i.e., sensors, communication packages, Hellfires), and this interest would eventually migrate to EW/IO/Cyber and other EMS payloads. For example, the Pandora EW jamming pod is a multifunction wideband solution that provides electronic attack, support and protect capabilities to ground forces. Another example is the NERO pod (Networked Electronic Warfare Remotely Operated), which also verified that this EW payload could operate at full power without adverse effects to the other electronic systems on a UAV. Tests evaluating both pods verified the viability of using an unmanned aerial system to perform electronic attack and electronic support missions. One of the key findings of the recent Defense Science Board report, "21st Century Military Operations in a Complex Electromagnetic Environment," was that the Pentagon needed to increase its emphasis on, and speed in, rapidly adapting proven warfighting EW capabilities. We have noted that non-nation entities and extremists use the Internet and its associated IP enabled devices as its Command and Control (C2) system. The average terrorist uses 6 cell phones and 12 SIM cards a day. We must renew our focus on interrupting their C2 nodes and make it impossible for their dispersed and small units to maintain connectivity and share information. The marriage of UAVs and EW payloads provides responsiveness to dynamically changing policies and mission scenarios, and generates a cost-imposing strategy on any adversary. By equipping our sizable fleet of MQ-1s and MQ-9s with EW payloads, we effectively deny Communications on the Move (COTM) capabilities to today's extremists. It is time someone in the Pentagon takes responsibility for aggressively transitioning EW/IO/ Cyber/EMS capabilities to the field. An industry executive said it very aptly: "Control and exploitation of the electromagnetic spectrum will strongly influence future conflicts." - Maj Gen Ken Israel, USAF (Ret.) AT-LARGE DIRECTORS Powder Carlson Todd Caruso Vickie Greenier Craig Harm Brian Hinkley Amanda Kammier Mark Schallheim Muddy Watters Paul Westcott APPOINTED DIRECTORS Robert Elder Anthony Lisuzzo REGIONAL DIRECTORS Southern: Lisa Fruge-Cirilli Central: Joe Koesters Northeastern: Nino Amoroso Mountain-Western: Sam Roberts Mid-Atlantic: Douglas Lamb Pacific: Joe Hulsey International I: Robert Andrews International II: Jeff Walsh IO: Al Bynum AOC STAFF Mike Dolim Executive Director dolim@crows.org Shelley Frost Director, Logistics frost@crows.org Glorianne O'Neilin Director, Member Services oneilin@crows.org Brock Sheets Director, Marketing sheets@crows.org John Clifford Director, Global Programs clifford@crows.org Stew Taylor Exhibits Manager taylor@crows.org Bridget Whyde Marketing/Communications Assistant whyde@crows.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JED - February 2015

The View From Here
Conferences Calendar
Courses Calendar
From the President
The Monitor
World Report
Maritime SIGINT: Shipborne Ears for the “Five Eyes”
Technology Survey: Analog-to-Digital Converters
EW 101
AOC News
Index of Advertisers
JED Quick Look

JED - February 2015