During the first two world wars, the forces quickly understood the benefits of mastering enemy communications, and with the help of scientists and industrialists, they quickly conceived, developed and implemented techniques not only to intercept communications, but also to carry out appropriate, meticulous counter-operations.
From then on, as the world became more and more connected and networked military action strategies developed, electronic warfare became an unavoidable reality.
Electronic warfare (EW) utilizes all the technologies allowing the mastery and control of the electromagnetic spectrum to carry out military actions.
As a reminder, the electromagnetic spectrum is the range of electromagnetic waves, from gamma rays to radio waves related to their wavelength, their frequency or even their energy. Only a narrow part of this spectrum is in the visible domain. So just like the sea, land, air and space, it has become a battlefield theater.
Electronic warfare is the confrontation of invisible forces. It is based on three essential pillars: support, defense and attack.
1. Electronic support involves detecting, identifying enemy electromagnetic signals and providing information for strategic decision-making.
In the fields of defense electronics, SIGINT – signal intelligence is generally implemented for this purpose.
“SIGINT” refers to all methods of intelligence collection, from interception to signals emitted analysis by opposing communications systems, radars and weapons systems. It is based on two subcategories of systems.
- COMINT (Communication intelligence): Communications intelligence refers to any intelligence obtained from communication between individuals and/or groups and therefore relies on signals that contain speech or text.
- ELINT, or electronic intelligence, refers to any intelligence gathered from electronic signals; signals that include radio or electromagnetic pulses and emitted by radars, missiles, guidance systems and aircraft.
2. Electronic defense or protection consists of protecting its own electromagnetic spectrum against enemy attacks. This is usually done through the use of electronic countermeasures and the protection of communications and radar systems.
More specifically it involves designing stealth combat buildings or aircraft, applying frequency use plans and radio and radar silence procedures, encrypting transmission or communication codes.
3. Electronic attack involves degrading, neutralizing or destroying the enemy's ability to use the electromagnetic spectrum. Electronic countermeasure constitutes the offensive aspect of electronic warfare. It aims to paralyze and deceive opposing surveillance systems, such as its radars and radio communications, but it also constitutes an effective self-protection system against, for example, missiles guided by laser technology. There are two methods of countermeasures: jamming, which disrupts enemy communications with electronic noise, and the use of decoys to deflect enemy systems.
All of these sophisticated devices are used by the different armed forces in an appropriate manner and on the various carriers or platforms available to them: portable systems, drones, ships, aircraft, etc.
Each system is the result of a complex integration of components, electronic cards and software (algorithms) specifically developed to meet the particular constraints of electronic warfare systems and complete the suite of necessary functions for support, defense and attack operations.
Ecrin SYSTEMS has built its services offering and designed its range of “off-the-shelf” products to meet all the needs of armies integrators and technological partners in the field of electronic warfare:
- Rugged servers : OPALE product line
- Rugged mission computers : TOPAZE, ONYX, µONYX, nanoONYX.
- Rugged Ethernet switch and routers : QUARTZ,
- Consoles : CRYSTAL
In the same way, Ecrin SYSTEMS anticipates the new requirements of modern electronic warfare systems which will quickly exceed the capabilities of human operators, requiring even greater efficiency, speed and security in the decision chain. This will most probably involve the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the systems.