Pentagon Sets Up Panel To Study Electronic Warfare: US Air Force Puts Long Range Strike Bomber Project On A High Priority

The U.S. Defense Department has set up a high level committee to study the scope of electronic warfare across the U.S. military. The panel has to make strategic recommendations to ensure that the United States has a competitive edge. The panel will be co-chaired by Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall and Admiral James Winnefeld.

This was disclosed by Robert Work, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Deputy Secretary, while speaking at a conference hosted by McAleese & Associates and Credit Suisse. Electronic warfare fundamentally involves use of electromagnetic and directed energy to to attack the enemy.

The major subdivisions within electronic warfare are: electronic attack, electronic protection, and electronic warfare support. In electronic warfare, electromagnetic or antiradiation weapons will be used to attack personnel, facilities or equipment for degrading, neutralising, or destroying enemy combat capability.

Work claimed that the United States had greater capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum than its potential adversaries. But lately, concerns are mounting that other countries are also investing heavily and making strides in matching U.S. technology. “We still have a lead, but that lead is diminishing rapidly,” Work told the conference.

Stealth Bomber Project

Meanwhile, the CNN reports about the high priority being accorded by Pentagon to upgrade its stealth aircraft for producing super-classified, next-generation bomber. The Air Force is reportedly planning to award a contract, very soon, to develop the Long Range Strike Bomber or LRSB to one of the most powerful firms. It may be by late 2015 so that they can be integrated into the fleet by the mid-2020s.

Collectively, the U.S Air Force is aiming for the modernidation of a whole platter including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, KC-46 Tanker, and its ageing Bomber fleet. This is in addition to the priority for LRSB project.

Striker Bomber

In his submission before the House Armed Services Committee, William LaPlante, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, revealed that the Air Force will pursue a "cost-plus" approach to the winning firm on LRSB, meaning that the government is open to address any cost overrun. He said the Long Range Strike Bomber is going to be more traditional in the sense that it will be more cutting edge.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula also pointed to the complusions of modernidation to counter the evolving threats. He said the "Chinese, Iranians and Russians ... have built advanced anti-air systems and long-range fighters, to attack our bases and aircraft carriers." Calling it "Long Range Sensor Shooter," Deptual told CNN that the key to LRSB is the ability to create a self-forming, self-healing "combat cloud" capable of sharing information with other aircraft and to conduct a diverse array of operations.

Capabilities

Though officials are tight-lipped on the specific capability expectations for the LRSB, indications are that besides its stealth properties, it can carry conventional and nuclear weapons with operations executed with or without a pilot. Long-range capability will allow the Air Force to persistently respond to threats and show the power to reach deep into enemy territory for hitting targets that are unreachable by cruise missiles. The large payloads capability will bestow greater flexibility in terms of using minimum number of aircraft for optimising the strike rate.

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