Inspecting an AN/ALQ-184 Electronic Attack Pod

Electronic countermeasures (ECM) are a subsection of electronic warfare which includes any sort of electrical or electronic device designed to fool radar, sonar, or other detection systems like IR (infrared) and Laser. It may be used both offensively or defensively in any method to deny targeting information to an enemy. The system may make many separate targets appear to the enemy, or make the real target appear to disappear or move about randomly. It is used effectively to protect aircraft from guided missiles. Most air forces use ECM to protect their aircraft from attack. That is also true for military ships and recently on some advanced tanks to fool laser/IR guided missiles. Frequently is coupled with stealth advances so that the ECM system has an easier job. On aircraft ECM can take the form of an attachable underwing pod or could be embedded in the airframe. Active arrays radars like those mounted on the F-22, Mig-35 (Fulcrum-F)or the F-35 can also act as an ECM device to track, locate and eventually jam enemy radar. Previous radar types were not capable to perform those activities because of: - the inability of the antenna to use suboptimal frequencies ; - the processing power needed; - the impossibility to practically intermix or segment antenna usages. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2307x1575, 3596 KB) Image taken from http://www. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2307x1575, 3596 KB) Image taken from http://www. ... // Electronic warfare (EW) is the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this phenomena by an adversary, while optimizing its use by friendly forces. ... This long range radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll. ... The F70 type frigates (here, La Motte-Picquet) are fitted with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) type DUBV43 or DUBV43C towed sonars SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging) â€” or sonar â€” is a technique that uses sound propagation under water (primarily) to navigate, communicate or to detect other vessels. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ... An Air force is a military or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare. ...

Offensive ECM often takes the form of jamming. Defensive ECM includes using blip enhancement and jamming of missile terminal homers. Radar jamming is the intentional emission of radio frequency signals to interfere with the operation of a radar by saturating its receiver with false information. ... Blip Enhancement is an electronic warfare technique used to fool radar. ...

ECM is practiced by nearly all military units—land, sea or air. Aircraft, however, are the primary weapons in the ECM battle because they can "see" a larger patch of earth than a sea or land-based unit. When employed effectively, ECM can keep aircraft from being tracked by search radars, surface-to-air missiles or air-to-air missiles. Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ... A US Navy VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcat fighter launches an AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile. ...

A new form of "electronic countermeasures" has recently been devloped to use technical means to defeat illegal conduct on the internet, including hacking, identity theft, sabotage, piracy, blackmail, cyber-stalking and extortion.

Examples of dedicated electronic countermeasures aircraft

• EF-111A Raven
• EA-6B Prowler
• EA-18G Growler
• Tornado ECR

The EF-111A Raven was an electronic warfare aircraft designed to replace the elderly and obsolescent Douglas EB-66 in the United States Air Force. ... The EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, mid-wing aircraft manufactured by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Corporation as a modification of the basic A-6 Intruder airframe. ... Four F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron Forty One (VFA-41) fly over the Western Pacific Ocean in a stack formation. ... The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine fighters, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. ...

See also

• Electronic warfare
• Electronic warfare support measures
• Electronic counter-countermeasures

// Electronic warfare (EW) is the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this phenomena by an adversary, while optimizing its use by friendly forces. ... French ship Monge, specialised in SIGINT In telecommunication, the term electronic warfare support measures (ESM) is the division of electronic warfare involving actions taken under direct control of an operational commander to search for, intercept, identify, and locate sources of radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition. ... Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) describes a variety of practices which attempt to reduce or eliminate the effect of Electronic countermeasures (ECM) on sensors aboard vehicles, ships and aircraft and especially seekers on weapons such as missiles. ...

References

• Electronic Counter Measures (PDF) (Lee Pucker)
• "Electronic Countermeasures Against Copyright Infringement on the Internet: Law and Technology," by Joseph D. Schleimer, Esq. Journal of Internet Law (November, 2001)