The U.S. Department of Defense is ramping up its focus on electronic warfare in response to the capabilities showcased by the Russian military in recent years, according to multiple reports.
The Pentagon reportedly plans on establishing a new task force to “regain U.S. dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum” after U.S. service members experienced Russian jamming tactics firsthand in Syria, according to documents obtained by Al-Monitor.
According to Al-Monitor, the new task force will produce an “updated electronic warfare strategy and roadmap” for Congress under the guidance of Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation”s highest-ranking officer.
The Al-Monitor report came just days after James Faist, the Pentagon”s Under Secretary for Defense Research and Engineering, advised the defense industry to prepare for time-sensitive, rapid-prototyping efforts for “really urgent[ly] needed electronic warfare missions.”
“These are well defined areas that we”re behind our adversaries,” Faist, a former Air Force electronic warfare officer, said ahead of a May 29 Industry Day. “We have to catch up.”