U.S. Air Force Officials Defining Scope for New Electronic Warfare Wing

The U.S. Air Force Cyber Command’s 450^th Electronic Warfare Wing is slated to become operational by October 1, 2008. Details of the Wing’s composition, mission, and manning are still being worked out, but the intent to achieve dominance in the control of the electromagnetic spectrum is a certainty. According to Lt. Col. Tim Sands, the AFCYBER Transition Team Chief, “We’re going to stop yielding the battlefield to these people who can set off explosives with a cell phone or other forms of energy to disrupt our mission or to hurt our people. Traditionally, our mission as electronic warfare officers has focused on radar jamming, deception, coding new frequencies, and such, and mostly on airborne platforms such as the B-52, F-15, and B-1B. Now, we’re being asked to look at expanding our capabilities, and one of these areas is through the use of directed energies such as lasers or microwaves or high powered electromagnetic pulses, for example. It still generates an effect, but not in the traditional sense that we must actually drop a munition on our target.” Learn more about the new Wing’s scope, needed skill sets, and operation by visiting the Air Force Linkwebsite. Is this a major trend in military tactics? Will today’s weaponry eventually be regarded as outdated as the archery used at Agincourt? Share your views at the Military CommunityForums?