In the same way smartphones and the Internet are redefining how the world shares, shops, learns, and works, the development and fielding of advanced sensors and networking technologies will enable some militaries to gain significant new advantages over competitors that fail to keep pace.
According to the report’s authors, the U.S. has already developed numerous electronic weapons and systems, but there are too many bureaucratic barriers for actually implementing the technology. “New operational concepts are necessary to leverage the technologies we’re already fielding,” said CSBA senior fellow Bryan Clark. He suggested that a new operational strategy would help the U.S. use existing ESW technology in more ways. For example, a jammer that is currently deployed on a traditional aircraft could also be installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle (i.e. drone), to secretly penetrate deeper into enemy territory. This method would be safer and less expensive.
The report concludes, “By adopting a new approach to EMS warfare and developing low-to-no power operational concepts and capabilities, the U.S. military could once again gain a significant edge over its future opponents. A failure to do so, however, could put America at risk of losing the battle for the airwaves.”
