US military says US lags behind Russia in electronic warfare

Mike Nagata, a retired US Army lieutenant general who led special operations in the Middle East, said the US "still lags behind" in its electronic warfare capabilities.

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Electronic warfare (EW) equipment uses electronic signals to remotely encrypt GPS coordinates, and has played a key role in Russia's war in Ukraine.

"The gap between where the United States should be and where we are, in my view, continues to widen, not everywhere, but in so many places," Nagata said at the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida. He called on the US to be more creative to regain its dominance in electronic warfare.

In addition, two former special forces officers told Defence One that one of the reasons why the Kremlin's technology is so much better is that it ignores international laws aimed at stopping the jamming of civilian telecommunications.

Russia has repeatedly used its electronic warfare capabilities to disable expensive precision weapons that the United States has provided to its ally Ukraine in the fight against Russia. For example, the Russians have proven to be effective against the latest GPS-guided Excalibur artillery shells.

Russia has also successfully fought American-made JDAM missiles and HIMARS missile systems.

The United States is closely studying the Russia-Ukraine war to learn how to improve its electronic warfare systems. In May, the US Department of Defence reported that the Pentagon is spending millions to develop new systems and technologies to protect GPS.

Source: Defence One