Tactical Battlefield Communications Electronic Warfare

This five half-days course covers techniques for setting up intercept and jamming links for Electronic Warfare (EW) against ground to ground enemy communication signals, UAV command and data links, cell phone links and weapon control links (including IEDs). It starts with a discussion of the one-way communication link, then covers the important propagation modes for communication band EW, modern signal modulations, and the techniques for predicting intercept and jamming performance as a function of the tactical geometry and local terrain. Finally, it provides step by step procedures for setting up intercept and jamming links against enemy tactical communications. All skills taught are reinforced by carefully structured hands-on in-class problems.

It is recommended that students purchase the textbook EW 103 by the instructor and the EW Pocket Guide, and will receive a full set of course notes from ATI.

• Understand the nature of tactical battlefield communication
• Recognize and understand the principle of operation of important types of antennas and receivers
• Calculate communication link performance
• Calculate the requirements for intercept of tactical communication
• Calculate the requirements for emitter location, intercept and jamming of tactical comm. signals including:
  • Single channel analog and digital comms
  • Cell phone systems
  • Weapon control links
  • Unmanned aerial vehicle links
  • Frequency hopping communication
  • Chirped communication
  • Direct sequence spread spectrum comms
  • Understand how to avoid communication fratricide
  • Be able to use various tools to perform electronic warfare calculations
  • Effectively use a Special Antenna and Propagation Calculation Slide Rule
  • Use nomographs
  • Apply formulas (using a scientific calculator)

Technical, Operational or Management EW professionals who need to understand radio communication, intercept, and jamming concepts and practice. There are no prerequisites, no math beyond algebra will be required and all concepts are described in physical rather than mathematical terms.

1. Introduction to Communication Electronic Warfare;
2. dB math;
3. Basic link equation;
4. Selection and calculation of appropriate propagation model: Line of sight loss, 2 ray loss, or knife edge diffraction;
5. Digital Communication;
6. Frequency hopping and other LPI threats;
7. UAV Payload/link Issues, cell phone issues;
8. Intercept links;
9. Communications Jamming (analogue and digital);
10. Look through and fratricide issues;
11. Special techniques for jamming LPI signals

David Adamy holds BSEE and MSEE degrees, both with communication theory majors. He has over 45 years experience as an engineer and manager in the development of electronic warfare and related systems. He has published over 200 articles on electronic warfare and communications theory related subjects, including a popular monthly tutorial section in the Journal of Electronic Defense. He has ten books in print. He consults to various military organizations and teaches electronic warfare and communication theory short courses all over the world.