[iwar] [fc:EA-6B.Crews.Recast.Their.Infowar.Role]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2001-11-25 21:14:14
Next message: Fred Cohen: "[iwar] [fc:Jammin']"
Previous message: Fred Cohen: "[iwar] [fc:DoD.Deploys.Cyber-Defense]"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]
Message-Id: <200111260514.fAQ5EFC32547@red.all.net>
To: iwar@onelist.com (Information Warfare Mailing List)
Organization: I'm not allowed to say
From: Fred Cohen <fc@all.net>
Mailing-List: list iwar@yahoogroups.com; contact iwar-owner@yahoogroups.com
Precedence: bulk
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 21:14:14 -0800 (PST)
Reply-To: iwar@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iwar] [fc:EA-6B.Crews.Recast.Their.Infowar.Role]
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Aviation Week &amp; Space Technology
November 19, 2001
EA-6B Crews Recast Their Infowar Role
By Robert Wall, USS Carl Vinson, Arabian Sea 
U.S. Navy EA-6B Prowler crews supporting the air campaign against
Afghanistan have established an enhanced communications jamming role for
themselves to become part of an integrated information warfare system and to
support special operations units. 
In a new twist, EA-6B crews are using their ALQ-99 jamming system, typically
employed to disrupt enemy air defense radars, to jam enemy communications.
Prowler crews are exploiting the technique on both aircraft carriers
supporting the war effort--the USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt.
In the past, communications jamming relied on the USQ-113, a dedicated
subsystem, but the adaptation of the ALQ-99 is a recent development, said
Lt. Jeff Smith, an EA-6B pilot. 
The ALQ-99 expands what communications frequencies can be disrupted. The
result is that EA-6Bs can now effectively shut down any Taliban
communications traffic. Moreover, the ALQ-99 can deliver more jamming energy
than the USQ-113. 
The new tool has proven particularly useful in supporting the Pentagon's
"hidden" special operations forces campaign. When those forces have been
inserted behind Taliban lines or merely brought forward to support targeting
on the ground, Prowlers have been suppressing Taliban communications to deny
them the ability to alert forces in the rear. 
THE COMMUNICATIONS jamming capability has been employed extensively ever
since the Afghan air defenses were effectively eliminated during the first
week of combat operations. The expanded mission comes at a time when EA-6B
crews thought they might find themselves sidelined because Afghan air
defenses, particularly the small number of SA-3s, were destroyed quickly.
"There is nothing for us to do, we thought," Smith said. 
The absence of traditional targets caused electronic warfare planners to
"look across the entire radio-frequency spectrum" to find other potential
points to attack, said Lt. J.D. McCreary, the tactics officer for VAQ-135.
The concept was developed by EA-6B tacticians and hardware experts. That
online information-sharing capability itself is a rather new development,
springing out of lessons from past conflicts. The effort is "establishing
the EA-6B in the information warfare process," he added. 
But the new mission is taking the EA-6Bs away from support of the carrier
air wing. Instead, operators are establishing a teaming arrangement
involving Air Force EC-130H Compass Call communications jammers, EC-130E
Commando Solo broadcasters, RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft
and Navy EP-3E sigint collectors. The goal is "to shape the information
operations battlefield," Smith said. 
COMPASS CALL and EA-6Bs divide who will jam what frequencies. Moreover, the
jamming platforms deconflict with Rivet Joint and EP-3 to ensure frequencies
the sigint collectors are monitoring are not disturbed. Detailed mission
plans are developed daily to assign responsibility for the different
frequencies. However, tactical adjustments also are made, such as Compass
Call asking Prowler to take over jamming a frequency, or Rivet Joint telling
the jammers to cease emitting so they can monitor a particular frequency.
The electronic combat coordination process itself is still maturing. 
The coordination also involves intricate post-mission analysis, such as what
frequency changes the Taliban make once their links are interrupted. Part of
the goal is to establish whether there are any patterns in how the Taliban
react. 
MOREOVER, THE JAMMING aircraft have to deconflict with other elements of
strike packages to avoid interfering with friendly forces. Particularly
vulnerable are the GPS-link of the Joint Direct Attack Munition and Joint
Standoff Weapon. But crews also worry they will disrupt links for the
Predator unmanned aircraft operating over Afghanistan. 
The communications jamming role is requiring EA-6Bs to change their flying
pattern. Enemy surveillance radars generally are directed toward the Prowler
to track them or the strike package it is escorting. That makes the radars
easier to target. Communications links are usually highly directional, so
the EA-6Bs have to take greater care to position themselves in order to
effectively project jamming energy to disrupt the signals. EA-6B officials
insist this isn't putting the crews at greater risk. In fact, missions are
planned to avoid flying too close to mountains from which Taliban forces
could fire shoulder-fired infrared-guided missiles. 
Another sign that the air-defense suppression role has faded in this
conflict is that the Prowlers aren't carrying any Harm antiradar missiles.
In fact, air defenses were targeted so heavily during the first few days of
conflict that, even then, no Harms were carried. Moreover, a policy that has
been in effect for several years demanding that all strike aircraft have
EA-6B support jamming protection has been temporarily lifted because of the
lack of Taliban air defenses. 
GENERALLY, THE TWO carrier-based EA-6B squadrons divide a day's operations.
Three aircraft of each squadron participate in daily sorties, with the
fourth aircraft used to conduct training that is still required. The attack
missions are staggered so one EA-6B is in the combat area while another is
being refueled in the air. The other aircraft either have returned or are
being prepared for their daily mission. Each mission lasts 6-7 hr., which is
unusually long for the EA-6B. 

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Universal Inkjet Refill Kit $29.95
Refill any ink cartridge for less!
Includes black and color ink.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/bAmslD/MkNDAA/ySSFAA/kgFolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

------------------
http://all.net/ 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Next message: Fred Cohen: "[iwar] [fc:Jammin']"
Previous message: Fred Cohen: "[iwar] [fc:DoD.Deploys.Cyber-Defense]"
Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] [ attachment ]
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : 2001-12-31 20:59:59 PST