US tests new electronic warfare system for fleet

Lockheed Martin on December 12 announced it had for the first time successfully tested a US Navy-bound electronic warfare system while it was mounted and installed aboard a helicopter as envisioned in future operations.

The system in question is called the Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare, or AOEW. Designed to be installed on MH-60R or MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, AOEW works either independently or in conjunction with a warship to detect and destroy incoming threats, such as anti-ship missiles, Breaking Defense reports.

“This marked the first time in the program’s development the system was able to perform engagement testing, demonstrate the ability to defeat threats, and quantify system performance, while integrated and controlled by the target platform,” according to a Lockheed Martin statement.

The most recent test took place at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland late this summer and used an MH-60R helicopter, according to Lockheed’s statement. Breaking Defense has reached out to the Navy for comment.

Initially started in 2012 as a “rapid response effort” for an urgent operational need, the Navy has invested more than $325 million in developing AOEW, which uses jamming or spoofing to redirect incoming missiles away from the ship.

One of the primary benefits of such technology is that it spares the ship from using other consumable ammunitions or defensive systems. Further, AOEW being self-contained and installed on the helicopter also spares the ship from having to factor in space, weight and power constraints for it.

“AOEW is a force multiplier for our sailors that will help them dominate and control the battlespace without ever firing a single shot,” said Deon Viergutz, vice president of spectrum convergence at Lockheed Martin. “It is designed with evolutionary capabilities, set up to be completely programmable so that it can develop, deliver and deploy new techniques as the threat landscape changes.”

The announcement came while in Washington, DC, electronic warfare specialists came together at the Association of Old Crows conference this week. In a keynote speech there today, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro emphasized how critical it was for the US to maintain spectrum “superiority” in a future conflict.