Latest news with #electronicwarfare
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Jet jamming: Fighter plane future rests on mastering electronic warfare
The ferocity of the shots fired in the recent India - Pakistan conflict have quietened but the skirmish is already having an impact on global air forces. Jamming devices are now considered essential, experts have told The National. A major investigation among Western powers is under way to understand how potentially three French-built Rafales were lost to Pakistan's Chinese made J-10Cs, alongside the worrying development of long-range aerial warfare. As Russia's invasion of Ukraine is proving, it's not the alluring curved lines of missiles that are essential to survival, but the energy emitted from unseen weapons. 'Operating in high-threat environments, electronic warfare (EW) is a must have, it's not an optional extra any more if you're going to survive in contested airspace,' said Gareth Jennings, air power editor of Janes, the defence intelligence company. As the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts are also demonstrating, modern warfare is evolving at rapid speeds among many weapons systems, with survival dependent on innovation and skill. It should be a wake-up call to nations that need to upgrade their aircraft defences with EW, a British military source said. Aerial prowess The Kashmir clash has demonstrated not only the high level of professionalism shown by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but also the emerging quality of Chinese-manufactured jets and missiles. The ability of the Pakistanis to operate a complex defence using airborne and ground radar co-ordinating its fighters has already unnerved Western onlookers. 'The West now knows it faces an extremely capable, integrated air and missile defence and it is also clear that China in the air domain is probably sliding ahead of Russia,' said Frank Ledwidge, a former military intelligence officer. The ability of the PAF's J-10C fighters and 'beyond visual range' PL-15E missiles that took down potentially five Indian air force fighters at a distance of more than 100km, has been noted. Once fired, the PL-15E is blasted by a rocket booster to hypersonic speed of Mach 5 (6,200kph) then guided on to its target by the J-10C fighter's radar. In the closing stages, it switches to its Aesa (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar with a second burst of speed being injected 10km from a target, making it difficult to evade. It is unclear if the older generation Indian Rafales were fitted with Aesa that could have allowed them to jam both the Pakistan fighter and the missile in its closing stages with a beam of focused electronic noise. There is also a suggestion that India was totally unprepared for the level of sophistication facing them, with all their aircraft shot down over home territory where they possibly thought they were safe. Worried West The incident is prompting reassessments for major defence companies, not only for Dassault, which makes the Rafale, but also the European manufacturers of Typhoon and US aircraft companies. 'There's a lot of work from an intelligence perspective, trying to understand the capability in terms of the missiles, their range and speed and therefore why the air defences didn't work or didn't prevent it,' a leading defence company insider told The National. Vital to understanding the losses will be how the Rafale's electronic warfare systems worked and the skill of the pilots using them. Like the Typhoon, the Rafale is called a '4.5 generation' fighter, highly capable with good defensive measures and a proven operational capability, but until this month operating against countries without serious air power. Essential to the Rafale's survival against missiles such as the PL-15 are its Spectra (Self-Protection Equipment Countering Threats to Rafale Aircraft) jamming system to protect it against missiles. It is not known to what extent India has Spectra, or if it was used during the engagement, 'but in terms of the Pakistani capabilities, "it certainly shows that they're not inferior to the Indian Air Force in any way,' Mr Jennings said. While India has an earlier version of the aircraft, analysts have stated that the newest F4 variant has greater range, better weapons and significantly more cyber capabilities, and with the Spectra even more jamming power making it 'more defendable' against missiles such as the PL-15. Air advantage The Typhoon will also soon be equipped with the Leonardo-designed Mark Two Radar, which can fire 'pulses of energy against surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles' that would give it greater capability, said military analyst Francis Tusa, editor of Defence Eye. However, he argued that the Rafale F5 model, coming into service in 2028, has also got 'really serious connectivity' that would arguably be greater than the US made F-35. Which introduces the argument that the 4.5 generation fighters might, with the right EW suites, fare as well as the stealth technology of aircraft such as the F-35, which largely rely on radar cloaking to prevent attacks. Once locked-on by a missile it is largely down to pilot skill to avoid destruction, as apparently demonstrated by a US F-35 pilot targeted by a Houthi missile in the recent conflict. None invincible Both Typhoon and Rafale have been on combat operations across the Middle East and North Africa, from Libya to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Mali, without any losses. But Rafale has been the only one involved in air-to-air combat. The key now for all countries with expensive 4.5 generation aircraft, costing around $120 million each, will be to equip them for what modern warfare is throwing at them at pace. 'None of these aircraft are invincible, and there's absolutely no reason why a Rafale competently handled using good tactics and a decent pilot shouldn't take down a J-10 or any other aircraft,' said Mr Jennings. Ultimately it is going to be down to small fractions of technological edge or pilot skill that ensures survivability in future aerial combat.
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Electronic Warfare Is Key To Indian And Pakistani Military Strategies
As India and Pakistan prepared for conflict over the last month, they revealed the next evolution of intimidating war rituals that once included banging shields and intimidating dances: the deployment of electronic warfare systems. In addition to tanks and artillery, move reflects the new face of modern warfare, where combat extends into the electronic domain. As seen in the Russia-Ukraine war, EW technology has a decisive impact on the battlefield. These systems interfere with a range of electronic signals, including those used for communications, radar, and navigation. They typically block GPS signals, jam the control links to drones and missiles, disrupt ground and air communications, and weaken the radar that supports air-defense networks. By placing EW systems along the border, both India and Pakistan made a show of force while reducing the other's ability to conduct offensive and defensive operations. Tensions rapidly escalated between these two nuclear powers following the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, when 26 Indian tourists were killed in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir by militants linked to Pakistan. India made the initial move, deploying several systems along the border. India's main EW system is the Samyukta system, which consists of 145 vehicles and covers an area of 150 kilometers by 70 kilometers. Developed domestically in 2004, the system is capable of electronic surveillance, direction finding, and jamming both communication and radar signals. India has other EW weapons in their arsenal including the Himshakti, a jamming system for mountainous terrain, and the Spectra suite, which is integrated into their Rafale fighter aircraft. Pakistan quickly responded by moving its own EW systems into forward positions. Many of its assets are Chinese-supplied, including the DWL-002 passive detection system. Unlike traditional radar, it detects and tracks airborne threats by picking up their electronic signatures. Pakistan also deployed several Chinese-made commercial-grade GPS jammers intended to disrupt Indian drones and missiles. Additionally, the Pakistani J-10C fighter aircraft carry advanced EW equipment, which reportedly disrupted the control systems on Indian Rafale aircraft flying along the border on April 29. While it may seem unusual for countries to showcase their EW capabilities in this way, such deployments are consistent with modern military doctrine. Given the long-standing hostility between India and Pakistan, both militaries have established a layered air-defense network designed to stop aircraft and missiles, as well as artillery intended to block ground advances. These defenses typically include EW systems, which are commonly used for detecting and disrupting incoming missiles and aircraft. Meanwhile, EW has become the preferred method for breaking through these layered defenses. It can interfere with the radar systems that support air-defense networks, which are then targeted and destroyed by air and missile strikes. Once the adversary's air defenses are neutralized, a military gains temporary air dominance, enabling it to carry out further missile and air strikes with minimal resistance. EW systems also disrupt communications, making it difficult for adversaries to coordinate a response, issue warnings, or mount a counteroffensive. Furthermore, the deployment of these systems carries a psychological impact. They are expensive and typically kept secret, so their visible deployment signals that a significant attack may be imminent. Both countries had their EW equipment tested on May 7, when India launched a series of air and missile strikes into Pakistan. Pakistan responded with its own set of strikes. Although the true effectiveness of these systems is unclear, both India and Pakistan have made claims that their EW systems played key roles in the conflict. The Indian military claims that they successfully jammed the Pakistani air defense systems, as reported by Times of India, allowing the Indian Air Force to strike its targets in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan has made claims that the EW systems on their J-10C aircraft contributed to the downing of Indian Rafale aircraft. As seen in the Russia-Ukraine war, the recent India-Pakistan conflict further highlights the growing role of electronic warfare in shaping military outcomes. While aircraft and missiles carried out the physical strikes, India's offensive operations relied heavily on the effective use of EW systems. Pakistan's defense similarly leveraged its own EW systems. These systems have become essential elements of the modern battlefield, offering capabilities as important as armor and artillery.
