Rapid Equipping Force to deliver new electronic warfare platforms

By: Mark Pomerleau 

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Sgt. Jessie Albert, an electronic warfare specialist assigned to 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, trains on the Wolfhound Radio Direction Finding System at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, on April 11, 2018. The electronic warfare specialists use direction finding to gain a line-of-bearing to the target. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Armando R. Limon, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division)  Army Forces Command will receive a new fleet of tactical vehicles specifically outfitted for electronic warfare this fall. As part of the Army’s efforts to restore electronic warfare capability and respond to capability gaps, the service’s Rapid Equipping Force will provide Army Forces Command with what’s known as Electronic Warfare Tactical Vehicles. The vehicles will be self-contained and independent, a notice from the REF stated. Soldiers inside the vehicle would operate the advanced EW system, which was developed in response to a battlefield need to sense and jam enemy communications and networks.

Several organizations partnered with the Rapid Equipping Force, which provides innovated materiel solutions to meet urgent needs, including Army Cyber Command and the Test and Evaluation Command.

According to a press release, the Army directed the Rapid Equipping Force to provide the vehicles to Force Command given its proximity to training areas and Korea and Europe.

“This effort will allow the ability for EW Soldiers to influence future vehicle improvements and grow their knowledge,” Lt. Col. Scott Schumacher, chief of the Rapid Equipping Force solutions team, said in a release. “This is an advanced EW technology that can provide the Army new offensive and defensive capabilities.”

On the materiel side, the Army is working to provide an integrated electronic warfare and intelligence ground platform, eliminating original plans for electronic-warfare-centric ground platform.

The Army expects a new Terrestrial Layer System, a SIGINT/electronic warfare system, will be used by military intelligence-electronic warfare companies the Army is working to stand up.

The Army also wants SIGINT, electronic warfare and cyber systems on the same platforms in the air and ground domain, Maj. Gen. Robert Walters, commander of the Intelligence Center of Excellence, said at an event hosted by the Association of Old Crows in July. These systems should be able to not only sense the environment but employ some type of action such as electronic attack or cyber capability.