The Utility of Using An Air Electronic Warfare Range

Wing Commander Matt Lawrence

Station Commander, RAF Spadeadam

Scope

• Introduction ‘The Perceived Threat’

• Fidelity

• Flexibility

• Feedback

• Questions

The Perceived Threat

The Current Threat

MANPADS SA-7

$5,000 per missile on the black market

SA-20 The Technological Threat

Strategic SAM Systems

$300M per S-300PMU-2 battalion

SA-2 The Real Threat

Digitized SAM Systems $1M-$2M+ per fire unit/radar

The Digital IADS

KASTA 2E2

PECHORA 2M

/ SA-3 Upgrade

BAIKAL CP

The Spectrum of IADS

The Spectrum of IADS

How To Improve EW Effectiveness?

• EW Trials

– Equipment, manoeuvre and

countermeasure testing

• Frontline EW Training

– Assurance activity

Fidelity

To provide effective training,

an EW range must have the fidelity

of threats and tactics to replicate both

threat and defensive activity

Threat Fidelity - Equipment

• Real Threats

SA-6 / SA-8 / ZSU / Skyguard

• Emulator Systems

AN/MPS-T1/43 – SA-2/3/6/8

• Simulators

IBU / JETS and MTRS

The

spectrum

of fidelity

Threat Fidelity - Real Systems

Acquisition radar

emissions

Target track

emissions

Missile

guidance

emissions

- They will give feedback on the real effects of jamming,

manoeuvre and chaff use

- Can be used to verify new jamming programmes or anti-SAM

Manoeuvres

- Hard to maintain & operate

Threat Fidelity - Emulators

- Engineered to replicate radar processes so should react like

the real thing

- Track like a real radar and are affected by the same issues

- Can be used to verify new jamming programmes or anti-SAM

Manoeuvres but with less confidence than using real eqpt

- Reasonably hard to maintain, easy to operate

Target track

emissions

Missile

guidance

emissions

Threat Fidelity - Simulators

- Guided by TV camera

- Simply produces a signal (no receive or processing capability)

- Will not react to chaff, jamming or manoeuvre as signal guided

by TV camera

- Used for aircrew training only

- Highly mobile, useful for deployed training

- Easy to maintain and operate

Target track or

missile guidance

signal

Threat Fidelity - Equipment

• The real equipment must

represent the opposition

baseline threat

• Technical refresh programmes

required

– To combat obsolescence

– To replicate new capability

• Spadeadam has upgraded

(digitized) its SA-6s and SA-8s

are being refurbished over the

next 24 months

Threat Fidelity - IR Equipment

• Simulators have signature element to

enhance fidelity

UV/IR MAWS

Visual cueing

Effective but

Cumbersome

Dedicated feedback

Threat Fidelity - IR Equipment

• Man-portable

• Aircrew

• Survivability

• Trainer

• Step change in IR training

• IR/EO on the training system

• Far more portable

• Day/night capable

• Can replicate any currently

deployed MANPAD

MAST from

ESL Ltd

Threat Fidelity - Tactics

• How do you replicate threat tactics?

• How do you retain your operators once they

are fully trained?

• How do you retain their currency vs

complex opposition?

• How do you instil the ethos of the SAM

operator?

TRAIN YOUR SAM

OPERATORS TO USE

THE EQUIPMENT AS

THE OPPOSITION WOULD

Threat Fidelity - Tactics

SA-3 SA-2

- Threat deployments

- Threat density

- Threat tactical

employment

Flexibility

To provide effective training,

an EW range must have the flexibility

to provide a service to all aircraft types,

all levels of aircrew experience and, if

necessary, away from the range

Flexibility to Deploy

RAF Spadeadam

Coastal Training sites

Exercise areas

Flexibility - SPICCCS

• SPadeadam Integrated Command, Control

and Communications System (SPICCCS)

– GPRS phones and laptop

– Local fibre links backed up with

RADREL at Spadeadam

– ATC radar feeds

– Data and voice links in real time

RAF Spadeadam SPICCCS offers

the functionality of a mini-IADS

Flexibility - SPICCCS

Medium range

SAM

Short range SAM

/ AAA Radar

IR threat teams

SSR radar

coverage

IADS North

IADS

North East

IADS

Spadeadam

Flexibility - SPICCCS

2710

B- 239

E- 4.5

R- 10.6

2711

B- 305

E- 4.5

R- 9.5

2712

B- 044

E- 2.5

R- 11.9

Start

Acquisition

Target

Acquired

Target

Auto

Track

Target

Manual

Track

Target

TV

Track

Missile

Guidance

Missile

Launch

Missile

Impact

Break lock

Chaff

Break lock

Terrain

Break lock

Jamming

Break lock

Manoeuvre

Target

Track

Broken

Run

Complete

Target

Reacquired

1201:04 Acquire target 1701

1201:10 Start acquisition

1201:45 Target Acquired

1201:58 Manual track

1202:10 Auto track

1202:20 Missile guidance

1202:25 Missile launch

tgt 127°, 10.6nm

1202:40 Break lock chaff

1202:50 Target reacquired

1202:55 Target TV track

1203:15 Missile Guidance

1203:25 Missile Launch

1203:39 Jamming noted

1203:55 Missile Impact

tgt 131°, 12.5nm

1204:10 Run Complete

.

.

.

-Expecting first wave at 1200ish

-System manned and ready

-SPICCS showing 1st targets

5 mins out

-Your 1st tgt will be 1701

-Rgr

-Radar on, use acq/track

-Rgr

-Starting run now

Flexibility - Threats

SAM Range

and complexity

User requirement

ECM

ESM

EPM

Flexibility - Tactics

• Dedicated airspace - danger area

• Range slots allow high energy

manoeuvres

• Permanent jamming warning area

• Chaff use allowed below 2000ft

• Rotary use of flares in defined areas

REAL TACTICS IN A REALISTIC ENVIRONMENT

Flexibility - Multi-users

5,000ft hard deck

Feedback

To develop effective countermeasures

or to confirm aircraft manoeuvres work,

the aircrew and trials officers need to be

provided detailed feedback on the

effectiveness of their range activity

Feedback - Aircrew

Start

Acquisition

Target

Acquired

Target

Auto

Track

Target

Manual

Track

Target

TV

Track

Missile

Guidance

Missile

Launch

Missile

Impact

Break lock

Chaff

Break lock

Terrain

Break lock

Jamming

Break lock

Manoeuvre

Target

Track

Broken

Run

Complete

Target

Reacquired

1201:04 Acquire tgt 1701

1201:10 Start acquisition

1201:45 Target Acquired

1201:58 Manual track

1202:10 Auto track

1202:20 Missile guidance

1202:25 Missile launch

tgt 127°, 10.6nm

1202:40 Break lock chaff

1202:50 Target reacquired

1202:55 Target TV track

1203:15 Missile Guidance

1203:25 Missile Launch

1203:39 Jamming noted

1203:55 Missile Impact

tgt 131°, 12.5nm

1204:10 Run Complete

-Expecting first wave at 1200

-System manned and ready

-SPICCS showing 1st targets

5 mins out

-Your 1st tgt will be 1701

-Rgr

-Radar on, use acq/track

-Rgr

-Starting run now

Feedback - Aircrew Date: 10 Oct 12

Report for SAXON 1, 617 Sqn

1439.00 SA-6 order to engage

1439.10 SA-6 TA detects tgt

1439.40 SA-6 TT acquires tgt

1439.42 SA-6 TT autotrack

1439.45 SA-6 Jamming detected

1439.50 SA-6 TT breaklock - chaff

1439.55 SA-6 Visually tracking tgt

1440.01 SA-6 TT reacquire tgt

1441.10 SA-6 Missile guidance

1441.14 SA-6 missile launch

1441.37 SA-6 impact 306.30/07.05

Feedback - Aircrew EGPMR

Feedback - Aircrew

• EGPMR allows accurate sortie

assessment

– Manoeuvres work

– Timeline for ARM attack

• Can be enhanced with telephone debrief

from SAM crew

• Face-to-face debrief when equipment

deploys to Main Operating Bases

• Video of flare release vs IR seeker

Feedback - Trials

• Digital SAM equipment can be linked to

fibre network to high capacity data stores

• Usually restricted to single threat system

and target

• Multiple runs

• Overnight analysis for feedback into trial

activity the next day

• Use of real systems wherever possible

RAF Spadeadam

• Provides world leading EW threat training

– Fidelity

– Flexibility

– Feedback

• ~ 20 RF and 9 IR/EO Threat systems

• 190 personnel (mix of military and civilian)

• Used by UK Defence, NATO and others

– Magic Carpet, ATLC, SBGF

• Run for under £1M per annum

Questions?

Questions?