3 pressing needs of next-gen electronic warfare

The next generation of warfare will require sophisticated electronic and directed energy weapons, and much work needs to be done to educate U.S. military and civilian decision makers about what will have to occur to craft the technologies into operational weapons, reports David A. Fulghum at Aviation Week’s Ares blog.

Three areas of key importance are:

• High power microwave to shut down enemy command and control centers and jammers.
• Laser technology that can defeat enemy kinetic weapons such as mortars and rockets.
• Unmanned systems and robotics that can work together as a group in battlespace.