"Just as the Marine Corps has traditionally used the air, fand and sea to close with and destroy the enemy, it must now look at the EMS environment as an equally relevant 'Maneuver Space.'"
Air-Land EW The US Marine Corps is a uniquely agile fighting force, an important consideration wher\ evaluating its approach to fielding an EW battle management capability. Unlike its brethren Services, which must often co-address strategic and geo-political concerns like global force projection and winning potential wars, the Marine Corps focuses on seizing objectives and winning battles. This is why, when the Marine Corps officially identifies securing the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) as a critical mission objective, you can expect that there are already Corps boots and brains moving out on the target. Even so, they have a long way to go, with many of the wellknown obstacles, challenges and questions still to be addressed. In June of last year, the Marine Corps Capabilities Development Directorate (Quantico, VA) released a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) document for Marine Air-Ground Task Force Electronic Warfare, (MAGTF-EW). In it, the USMC defined the EMS as a warfighting environment that must be fully integrated into the complete battlefield awareness and management activities of the MAGTF Commander, with Marines at all echelons relying on EW as an integral component to their operations. "Just as the Marine Corps has traditionally used the air, land and sea to close with and destroy the enemy, it must now look at the EMS environment as an equally relevant 'Maneuver Space,'" the document states. In truth, there's not much new or different, if anything, about the Marine Corps strategy. It includes all the familiar buzzwords - interoperability, networking, cross-discipline cooperation, system of systems (SOS), increased training, etc. What is different, however, is that the Marine Corps has put its plan on paper, in detail, and most importantly, it has linked it directly to existing capabilities and assets and to other technologies and systems that are already in advanced development for realistic, near-term deployment - specifically the 2016-2020 timeframe. According to the Marines, the 2016-2020 timeframe accounts for capabilities which are currently in development, the "sundown" of the EA-6B, potential deployment of a Group 4 UAS, and the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter. EW FOR THE MARINE RIFLEMAN Whatever EW capabilities the Marines ultimately implement, it must in parallel address a change in Marine Corps operational thinking. To adapt to a changing threat environment, the Marine Corps is gradually shifting from a battalion-centric approach to one in which the Marine rifle company is seen as the lowest tactical unit capable of independent operations. To accomplish this, however, the rifle companies will need to have increased network access and situational-awareness information. As described by LtCol Shawn Cunningham of the Networking/Connectivity Division (APW-74), Weapons Requirements Branch at USMC Headquarters, "The intent is that the MAGTF Commander will have the necessary organic assets at his disposal to control the EMS at the time and place of his choosing, but also to have the ability at the tactical level for Marines to request capabilities such as ISR and non-kinetic fires in real time." The CONOPS explains this shift: "Historically, the Marine Corps focused separately on airborne and ground based platforms, using them to conduct Electronic Attack (EA), Electronic Protection (EP), Electronic Warfare Support (ES), and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) as required by each individual MAGTF element. In order to better support the Marine rifleman and provide him access to the full EW network, the MAGTF EW concept must allow for the coordinated management of action of each element of EW, spectrum management and now cyber, rather than a mutually exclusive approach." It goes on to say that "traditional EMS users (EA, ES, EP, SIGINT, Force Protection, and spectrum management) must collaborate with cyber and information operations in order to counter the threat and provide the desired effects in direct support to not only the Marine rifleman but all echelons within the MAGTF." The CONOPS cites a 2010 White House fact sheet that states, "the use of the spectrum has grown at over 250 percent per year, with some estimates indicating that the next five years will see an increase in wireless data of between 20 and 45 times 2009 levels." In parallel with this trend, dedicated command and control systems will continue to incorporate new, sophisticated waveforms, encryption methods and other technologies and tactics that will allow 3 I I
them to blend into the global information environment. Enemy combatants in low-intensity conflict areas have already begun to exploit a multitude of cheap, readily-available commercial communication technologies, and this trend will undoubtedly continue as commercial use of the spectrum continues to grow at a rapid rate. ALL IN THE FAMILY To deal with this disparate range of future threats and requirements, the Marine Corps plan calls for the deployment and integration of a scalable "EW Family of Systems (FOS)," organic to each unit, combined with the creation of Electronic Warfare Coordination Cells (EWCC) within each MAGTF. Says LtCol Robert Kudelko, EW Aviation Requirements Officer (APW-41) at USMC Headquarters, "We've clearly seen the demand from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we're trying to align the FOS/SOS to address these demands and provide the needed organic EW assets. The ground, air and command and control pieces all have to advance together for this to be effective. All are equally important." The cornerstone of this capability will be a "services oriented architecture (SOA)" working across an IP-based network. This "EW Net" is planned to be compatible with Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT), Advanced Network Wideband Waveform (ANW2), Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW), Common Data Link (CDL) and other future waveforms and networks, and includes network capabilities resident in the Radio Battalions, UAV squadrons (VMUs), and spectrum management communities as well as future networks supporting the F-35B. Testbed demonstration projects, like the recently completed Collaborative Online Reconnaissance Provider/ Operationally Responsive Attack Link (CORPORAL), are aimed at enabling this access and will be the foundation for the Electronic Warfare Services Architecture (EWSA). The EWCC will host the Marine Corps' EW brainpower, "responsible for refining the Electronic Order of Battle (EOB)" and for making available and coordinating both tactical ground and airborne EW assets in real time for the MAGTF commander. As described by Lieutenant Colonel Cunningham, "Using the EW Net, the EWCC will provide the personnel and subject-level expertise to deliver a truly integrated EW capability at the tactical level. Tactical Commanders will be able to request and receive both kinetic and non-kinetic fires, with the non-kinetic piece controlled by the EWCC." IN THE AIR Historically, Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) have not had their own organic, dedicated aviation EW elements, but this is expected to change. The capability will be provided by a combination of manned and unmanned platforms. Though the venerable EA-6B is currently slated for retirement, it is still expected to be a major EW asset for the remainder of the decade. Transition to the ICAP III version of the Prowler will be complete by June 2012, and the Marines plan to receive 32 ICAP III aircraft and maintain the program into 2019. Eventually, many of Prowler's existing missions are expected to be handed off to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), as well as other multirole manned and unmanned aircraft. The Intrepid Tiger IIALQ-231 communications electronic attack pod is one example of an EW capability planned for integration on multi-role airframes including the AV-8B, F/A-18 and AH-IZ.
"Historically, Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) have not had their own organic, dedicated aviation EW elements, but this is expected to change." The KC-130J, with its extended loiter time and payload capacity, is another platform under consideration as an airborne MAGTF EW asset. The Intrepid Tiger II ALQ-231 communications electronic attack pod is one example of an EW capability planned for integration on multi-role airframes including the AV-8B, F/A-18 and AH-IZ. The Intrepid Tiger II program is itself an example of a novel and streamlined approach to acquisition. Acting as its own prime contractor, each pod is integrated by the USMC itself. At a cost of less than $600,000 per unit, the system makes extensive use of off-the-shelf components, which should provide for relatively easy upgrade and maintainability. In addition to communications intelligence and jamming functions, the Intrepid Tiger II pod is following an upgrade path that should enable it to perform electronic support as well. Says Lieutenant Colonel Kudelko, "In this time of budget uncertainty, one of the things we can offer, particularly with programs like Intrepid Tiger II, is fiscal conservatism. It's a pennies-on-the-douar solution while providing an increased capability. Though it can really only provide a portion of the EA-6B's fullspectrum capability, the quantity of systems that we can potentially make available is a big offset." According to Kudelko, the Intrepid Tiger II pod is currently three quarters of the way through its test program, which should be completed in the early part of this year. "Pending the test report," he said, "we'll know the feasibility and timing of getting the pod deployed in theater, but thus far, the tests have been going well." ON THE GROUND A number of systems, mixing fixedsite, man-portable and vehicle-mounted units, will comprise the ground-based element of the MAGTF EW capability. Based on experience over the past decade, remotely controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIEDs) will continue to be a central focus of Marine Corps efforts. Currently, the Marines rely on the Counter RCIED Electronic Warfare (CREW) family of systems. CREW is a high-power, modular, programmable multiband RF jammer that denies selected portions of the EM spectrum to an enemy. The latest version, the Thor III man-pack system, built by Sierra Nevada Corp. (Sparks, NV), is expected to be the standard dismounted system in the 2012 timeframe. Each standard Thor III system consists of three, manpack subsystems each containing either a low, mid or high-band receiver/ 2. Information Operations Europe 2012 Conference The Rise of Extrexnism and the Role of Information Operations February 22-23,2012 NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany INFOWñR The events surrounding "Arab Spring" awakened Western countries to the plight of disenfranchised populations in the Arab Region and Northern Africa. Large groups of disaffected people coalesced their anger to overthrow long-standing governments. These groups leveraged the information environment to communicate on a world stage while garnering support within their home nation, across their region, and from the entire world. This same information environment is available to other groups to advance their goals and objectives. This conference will explore how individuals and groups use the information environment to advance extremism within nation states. Visit WWW.CX'OWS.Org' for more information and to register.
.Sä transmitter; antenna and remote control unit (RCU). The scanning-receiverbased jammer has multiple jamming signal sources for countering multiple simultaneous threats. The vehicular version, the CREW Vehicle Receiver/Jammer (CVRJ) manufactured by ITT Exelis Electronic Systems (Clifton, NJ), will completely replace the "Chameleon" system as the Marines' vehicle mounted system this year. Further down the road, future Joint CREW (JCREW) capabilities, now in development, will include mounted, dismounted, and fixed site versions that the Marines will field in the 2014-16 timeframe. The Marines also expect new CREW capabilities to evolve into other EW mission areas in support of force protection, including masking thermal imaging, disrupting enemy position-navigationand-timing (PNT) and deception of RF fused or guided munitions. CREW capabilities are also expected to serve in an electronic support role, feeding sensor information back into the EW battle management network. intercept signals. The system's current EA capability is provided by the MJ-08 jammer, which is planned for replacement by upgraded THOR III systems later this year. The Marine Corps also depends on several vehicle-mounted EW systems. The newest of these is the AN/ULO-30 Communication Emitter Sensing and The Marines also expect new CREW capabilities to evolve into other EW mission areas in support of force protection, including masking thermal imaging, disrupting enemy position-navigation-and-timing(pnt) and deception of RF fused or guided munitions. Already, a number of new man-pack and vehicle-mounted EA and ES systems are giving Marine Corps' Radio Battalions (RadBns) substantial additional EW punch. RadBn Radio Recon Teams (RRTs) and Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) Direct Support Teams (DSTs) are already equipped with the man-pack Radio Reconnaissance Equipment Program (RREP SS-3) SIGINT/EW system to support Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) commanders, as well as provide indication and warning (I&W) support to other adjacent advance-force units. The RREP SS-3 is the fourth generation of RREP, which is continuously updated to maintain its ability to prosecute low-probability-of- Attack System (CESAS), which will be followed by the Marine Corps Ground Electronic Attack System (MCGEAS). CESAS is a mobile digital EA system integrated in a Mine Resistant Impact Protected (MRAP) vehicle for detection and denial of threat communications. Employed by small teams of Radio Battalion Marines, the system can operate both as a stationary site and on the move. Another EW asset available to the MAGTF commander is the Mobile EW Support System (MEWSS) (B). Mounted in a light armored vehicle (LAV) autohull, the MEWSS (B) provides SIGINT, DF, and I&W to operational maneuver units. ES is conducted via the Team Portable Collection System (TPCS), while the RREP MJ-08 jammer provides an EA capability. Ground-based EW systems will be networked with airborne capabilities and managed via the EWCC. According to the EW CONOPS, the Corps expects UAS will be an important element of these EW capabilities, which together with manned aircraft will "work together with radio battalion ground assets to extend the reach of SIGINT, EW support and EA capabilities." Currently, unmanned capabilities are provided by the Group 3 Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (STUAS) and the AAI (Hunt Valley, MD) R0-7B "Shadow" platforms. For example, the Boeing/Insitu (Bingen, WA) "Scan Eagle," STUAS are being used to extend the operational range and capabilities of RadBns, and can be re-tasked via the network in real time. Currently in service with the Marines in Iraq, the ScanEagle carries a nosemounted camera and can be fitted with a number of other sensor packages including, EO/IR, Biological and Chemical, Magnetometer, and high-resolution radar for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Capable of flight times in excess of 15 hours, it has a 900-MHz UHF datalink and 2.4-GHz S- band downlink for video transmission, A next-generation STUAS platform is planned for Initial Operating Capability with the Navy and Marine Corps in the fourth quarter of FY2013. Also from Boeing/Insitu, the "Integrator," which will have a multiple-payload capability.
is considerably larger and more powerful than the Scan Eagle, with a maximum speed of 90kt (166km/h). The Marines are also currently considering investment in a Group 4 UAS. According to Kudelko, "The Marine Corps is still evaluating the full requirements for Group IV, so it remains to be seen whether we will go down that road or not. If we decide to, obviously a larger platform will give us the greatest degree of flexibility for mounting multiple payloads, but it's too soon to tell right now if the Group IV is the Marine Corps requirement." TRAINING AND MANPOWER As the Marine Corps moves forward with its plan for EW battle management, there are still a host of challenges and questions that remain to be answered. One major area is the question of where the EW expertise needed to actually manage and implement the new system capabilities will come from. The CONOPS states that "successful implementation [of the SOS] will require a significant focus on training throughout the EW Enterprise,... and will require personnel knowledgeable in basic EW fundamentals at all organizational levels." It identifies the radio battalions, UAS squadrons and attack squadrons as the building blocks from which existing capabilities can be expanded. Lieutenant Colonel Kudelko says a manpower study is currently underway to examine this issue and provide an initial assessment as to the number of Marines that will be required to serve in the role of MAGTF EW Coordinator, "but we won't have much of this structure available until the EA-6B begins to sundown." The Marines envision a number of the necessary EW experts to come from EA-6B aircrews, at least initially, but with the sundown of the EA-6B triggering the possible loss of the 7588 MOS (Electronic Counter Measures Officer) expertise, there will need to be an alternative path for RadBn personnel to acquire this training. The Corps is currently assessing multiple "schoolhouses" in the other Services, as well as working to establish its own requirements, "but we haven't yet defined where we would conduct our training or what the syllabus will look like. We don't see a formal MOS designation for several years still," says Kudelko. Another big question is where EWCC personnel will actually be located, their specific roles and responsibilities, and the command structure in which they will operate. Lieutenant Colonel Cunningham says that the Service's Operational Analysis Division has recently presented the results of a year-long study effort looking at just that. "Our next step is to review and evaluate these recommendations, but the leadership decision will still have to be made, before anything is actually implemented." Lieutenant Colonel Kudelko adds that "it's too soon to tell if there will be an EW specialist at the company level. We don't currently have the manpower or structure that some of the other Services might have. One proposal is to maintain a central EW command of sorts that would potentially detach to deployed units, similar to the way we support our Forward Air Controller (FAC) responsibilities." MARCHING FORWARD The Marines have outlined a vision for EW that they had already started to build well before they published their recent MAGTF EW CONOPS. It is a document that is cognizant of the lessons learned over the past decade, and at the same time it illustrates a forward-leaning vision for air-land EW. Ultimately, it will provide the MAGTF with a better understanding of how to successfully fight and win in the EM environment. 4r
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