Electronic Combat Technology

Mission — Electronic Combat Technology source

This program develops and demonstrates technologies to support Air Force electronic combat warfighting capabilities. The program focuses on developing components, subsystems, and technologies with potential aerospace, special operations, and airlift electronic combat applications. It develops and demonstrates technologies for integrating electronic combat sensors and systems into a fused and seamless whole. It integrates and focuses research efforts in electronic warfare and cyber warfare to rapidly demonstrate a capability for rapid fielding. It develops and demonstrates technologies for navigation and timing in radio frequency (RF) contested and denied environments. It develops and demonstrates advanced technologies for radio frequency electronic combat suites and advanced warning and countermeasure technologies to defeat electro-optical, infrared, and laser threats to aerospace platforms. It also develops and demonstrates technologies that will enable mission systems to be more resilient, agile, autonomous, and be able to operate in multiple domains. This program has been coordinated through the Department of Defense (DoD) Science and Technology (S&T) Executive Committee process to harmonize efforts and eliminate duplication. In order to manage, execute, and deliver science and technology capabilities, this program element may include: necessary civilian pay expenses; expenses to support the operation and maintenance of facilities; as well as expenses related to travel, supplies, IT hardware, software and support, administrative contractor services, etc. In FY 2026, in order to better plan, execute, and demonstrate integrated sensing and spectrum dominance technologies/capabilities, funding and technical work was transferred from this program into Program Element 0603203F, Advanced Aerospace Sensors, Project 63665A, Advanced Aerospace Sensors Technology. This program is in Budget Activity 3, Advanced Technology Development because this budget activity includes development of subsystems and components and efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes for field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment.

Mission — EW Quick Reaction Capabilities source

This project establishes a capability to rapidly assess, develop and demonstrate new electronic warfare concepts, techniques, and capabilities as well as the required position navigation and timing technologies and capabilities in the context of systemic electronic warfare effects (electronic warfare threat interactions) in a congested/contested electromagnetic spectrum, system-of-systems environment of the future. It develops disruptive electronic warfare and countermeasures concepts specifically selected for high-impact, game-changing effects; evaluates them in high fidelity virtual and hardware evaluation settings; and demonstrates them in an operationally relevant environment. It establishes and maintains an all-source, physics-based, threat-to-countermeasures electronic warfare systems engineering methodology. It develops a core analytic function, supported by simulation-based wargaming and interactive engineering modeling capabilities to evaluate advanced countermeasures concepts.

Mission — RF Warning & Countermeasures Tech source

This project develops and demonstrates advanced technologies for radio frequency electronic combat suites, including the required navigation technologies and capabilities, to enhance the survivability of aerospace vehicles and to provide crew situational awareness. The research addresses technologies for missile/threat warning, radio frequency receivers, electronic combat pre-processors, advanced sorting/pre-processing algorithms, and expert software for applications on existing and future electronic combat systems. The research also focuses on the development and demonstration of subsystems and components for generating on-board/off-board radio frequency countermeasure techniques to address the complete range of multispectral threats with multimode capabilities. Develops capabilities for situational awareness and countermeasures to integrated air defense systems and associated multispectral threats. Develops electromagnetic warfare focused knowledge databases, engineering models, mission simulations, analysis tools and assessment environments which enable the development of multi-domain multi-spectral electromagnetic warfare technologies. This includes the development of electronic countermeasures techniques, as well as advanced electronic countermeasures technologies such as antennas, power amplifiers, and preamplifiers. This project also aims to develop cyber resilience and protect systems through adaptation of the system to the threat. It demonstrates these technologies in open and adaptable architectures for system integration in field demonstrations and proves out the technologies through rapid integration of sensors and architectures for technology transition.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (3)