In today’s highly contested theaters of war, the invisible battlefield has expanded dramatically, and electronic warfare (EW) has emerged as a decisive factor in who holds the upper hand.
Once viewed as a supporting tool for pilots to defend against missiles and radar locks, EW now shapes entire campaigns, determining the success or failure of complex operations-on land, at sea and in the air.
For decades, fighter jets have carried advanced countermeasure suites designed to jam, deceive and confuse enemy systems. These systems are no longer limited to defensive roles.
Modern platforms can generate entire formations of false targets, manipulating ground-based radar to make a lone aircraft appear as an armada. That deception gives a fleeting but crucial window, enough to slip past detection, deliver a strike, and vanish.
Standoff jamming aircraft such as modified C-390s and Boeing 737s or the United States EA-18G Growler play a central role in this new dimension of warfare. When hundreds of planes enter contested airspace, centralized EW coordination becomes vital. These powerhouses flood the spectrum with misleading signals, shielding incoming aircraft and warships from prying electronic eyes. The goal is simple: rob the enemy of clarity, overwhelm their defenses, and reshape the electromagnetic landscape.
EW supremacy no longer confined to the skies
But EW supremacy is no longer confined to the skies. Ground forces now deploy their own systems, vehicles capable of jamming GPS signals, disrupting targeting efforts, and even spoofing communications. At sea, warships are now equipped to detect, deceive, and disrupt across the electromagnetic spectrum. Understanding where the seas were heading, navies have invested heavily in systems that allow vessels to jam enemy sensors, spoof incoming missiles, and maintain situational awareness in cluttered electronic environments.
When all air, maritime and land assets collaborate across the spectrum, dominance is inevitable.
Cyber tactics layered on top of RF deception represent the next frontier. By injecting manipulated data into radars and linked networks, EW teams can penetrate deeper into enemy command structures. As systems become more interconnected, this synergy between cyber and EW turns traditional sensors into liabilities.
Real-world conflicts reflect both triumphs and shortcomings. India’s Rafale jets came under scrutiny after Pakistani forces downed several aircraft, an event that led to a parliamentary inquiry in France over whether the EW suites had failed or if Pakistan’s Chinese missiles were simply more advanced.
An August 2nd report in China’s South China Morning Post said that scientists in Beijing have unveiled a new EW technique that is capable of creating an electromagnetic “calm zone” that would enable the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to disrupt enemy communication and navigation systems while simultaneously shielding their own platforms from disruptions.
While the technology has only been done in computer simulations, China’s growing EW capabilities is putting the Western world on alert.
In the Middle East, Israeli forces have demonstrated how mastering the spectrum can clear a path through dense hostile air defenses, achieving tactical dominance within days if not hours, by using a wide variety of electronic attack techniques that jammed, confused and disrupted Iranian air defenses.
Israel’s Operation Rising Lion struck a range of Iranian targets, including Tehran’s efforts to build an electromagnet pulse (EMP) weapon according to a Washington Post report in late July
An EMP is designed to generate a powerful burst of electromagnetic radiation that would damage electronic equipment and infrastructure like Israel’s power grid, financial markets, military command and control systems and more. While it might not kill anyone, an EMP could cause widespread destruction that could take years to recover from.
Meanwhile, Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine has rattled Europe’s strategic landscape, and has led nations to rearm at levels unseen since the height of the Cold War. Though European states continue to criticize Israel for its actions in Gaza, and even blocking Israeli participation in arms exhibitions (like the Paris Airshow in June where Israeli companies had black curtains blocking their stands), there was an increase in arms contracts with European countries.
According to Israel’s Ministry of Defense International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT),there was significant growth in contracts with European countries, which accounted for 54% of the total contract volume in 2024, compared to 35% in 2023. While missile, rocket and air defense systems were the largest tiers of defense exports to Europe, EW made up 8%.
Nations like China and Russia are rapidly refining their own EW capabilities, and their systems might even rival Western technology. However, staying ahead requires agility, not just parity. Algorithms must interpret threats in real time and deploy countermeasures instantly. AI is already being woven into next-gen suites that would allow the systems to improvise under pressure.
The integration of cyber tactics over RF channels, where radar-linked networks can be manipulated, has added an even newer layer of complexity, allowing forces to penetrate deeper into adversary systems.
In today’s wars, victory may hinge less on the number of jets or missiles in the sky, and more on who controls the waves they ride in on.