Electronic warfare for airborne use pact signed between U.S. DoD and Australian defense forces
NewsAugust 20, 2020
ARLINGTON, Va. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Australian Defense Force have signed an agreement to collaborate on the joint design, development, testing, and demonstration of dynamic multiplatform electromagnetic maneuver warfare resource allocation management (EMW RAM) tools and decision aids for airborne use.
Under what's being called the Airborne Multi-Platform Electronic Warfare (AMPEW) agreement, the DoD and Australia intend to develop technologies for the deployment of cooperative manned and unmanned electromagnetic operations in the air domain.
The partners -- the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center, the Office of Naval Research, Naval Air Systems Command, Australia's Defense Science and Technology (DST) Group, and members of U.S. and Australian industry -- will build on work previously carried out by DST and the U.S. Navy in sensor development on airborne platforms such as the F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet, F/A-18F Super Hornet, and EA-18G Growler.
“The primary aim is to decrease aircrew cognitive workload and automate command and control on manned and unmanned EW systems from stand-in to standoff ranges,” stated Australian Head Air Force Capability Air Vice Marshal Cath Roberts. “The project arrangement serves as the mechanism under which the U.S. Navy and Australia are executing the EMW RAM Coalition Warfare Program project and future naval capability.”
The work, say Australian officials, may in the future be deployed on manned airborne platforms, but also potentially on future unmanned platforms and command-and-control systems.
