Questions about the Growler (EA-18G)

[Henry J. Cobb]

http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzgrum143670438feb14,0,4952103.story?coll=ny-business-print
The Navy's current fleet of EA-6B Prowlers jam enemy radar by
transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency ranges to "blind"
hostile radars. The ICAP-III, in comparison, uses software to rapidly
focus its jamming energy on any frequency band being used by an enemy
surface-to-air missile system.

Can the one guy in the back seat handle all of this, even with the
fancy software?

Will Growlers operate in pairs to search out and jam radars?

And will the JSF be used as a weasel to "HARM" (with JSOW) the radars
the Growlers are jamming?

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/docs/990300-JSOW.htm
All JSOW variants incorporate global positioning system/inertial
navigation system (GPS/INS) guidance and an aerodynamically efficient
airframe to allow delivery aircraft to remain outside the lethal reach
of enemy medium range surface to air missiles (SAMs).

-HJC

[Chad Irby]

In article >,
(Henry J. Cobb) wrote:

> http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzgrum143670438feb14,0,4952103
> .story?coll=ny-business-print
> The Navy's current fleet of EA-6B Prowlers jam enemy radar by
> transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency ranges to "blind"
> hostile radars. The ICAP-III, in comparison, uses software to rapidly
> focus its jamming energy on any frequency band being used by an enemy
> surface-to-air missile system.
>
> Can the one guy in the back seat handle all of this, even with the
> fancy software?

If it weren't for "fancy software," nobody could have even operated
"old" jamming tech. Pretty much everything since 1970 has relied on
computing power to handle the actual work when it comes to ECM, and the
operator does larger-scale management. Modern systems have to handle
dozens of threats within a few seconds, and there's just no way in hell
someone could do that manually.

When it comes to ECM, it's computer versus computer. Hell, automatic
chaff and flare dispensing has been available for a long time...

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

[Les Matheson]

The EF-111 jamming gear was operated by one guy in the right seat.

--
Les
F-4C(WW),D,E,G(WW)/AC-130A/MC-130E EWO (ret)


"Chad Irby" > wrote in message
om...
> In article >,
> (Henry J. Cobb) wrote:
>
> >
http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzgrum143670438feb14,0,4952103
> > .story?coll=ny-business-print
> > The Navy's current fleet of EA-6B Prowlers jam enemy radar by
> > transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency ranges to "blind"
> > hostile radars. The ICAP-III, in comparison, uses software to rapidly
> > focus its jamming energy on any frequency band being used by an enemy
> > surface-to-air missile system.
> >
> > Can the one guy in the back seat handle all of this, even with the
> > fancy software?
>
> If it weren't for "fancy software," nobody could have even operated
> "old" jamming tech. Pretty much everything since 1970 has relied on
> computing power to handle the actual work when it comes to ECM, and the
> operator does larger-scale management. Modern systems have to handle
> dozens of threats within a few seconds, and there's just no way in hell
> someone could do that manually.
>
> When it comes to ECM, it's computer versus computer. Hell, automatic
> chaff and flare dispensing has been available for a long time...
>
> --
> cirby at cfl.rr.com
>
> Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
> Slam on brakes accordingly.

[Buzzer]

On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 17:10:20 GMT, Chad Irby > wrote:

>If it weren't for "fancy software," nobody could have even operated
>"old" jamming tech. Pretty much everything since 1970 has relied on
>computing power to handle the actual work when it comes to ECM, and the
>operator does larger-scale management.

The computing power on B-52H ECM up to the early 80's when I retired
was still mostly the EWO. SAC wasn't exactly a leader in ECM
technology..

>Modern systems have to handle
>dozens of threats within a few seconds, and there's just no way in hell
>someone could do that manually.
>
>When it comes to ECM, it's computer versus computer. Hell, automatic
>chaff and flare dispensing has been available for a long time...

[Chad Irby]

In article >,
Buzzer > wrote:

> On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 17:10:20 GMT, Chad Irby > wrote:
>
> >If it weren't for "fancy software," nobody could have even operated
> >"old" jamming tech. Pretty much everything since 1970 has relied on
> >computing power to handle the actual work when it comes to ECM, and the
> >operator does larger-scale management.
>
> The computing power on B-52H ECM up to the early 80's when I retired
> was still mostly the EWO. SAC wasn't exactly a leader in ECM
> technology..

The B-52 ECM suite at that time was still basically 1950s tech.
Hydraulically-tuned magnetrons and the like.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.

[Buzzer]

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 03:16:52 GMT, Chad Irby > wrote:

>In article >,
> Buzzer > wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 14 Feb 2004 17:10:20 GMT, Chad Irby > wrote:
>>
>> >If it weren't for "fancy software," nobody could have even operated
>> >"old" jamming tech. Pretty much everything since 1970 has relied on
>> >computing power to handle the actual work when it comes to ECM, and the
>> >operator does larger-scale management.
>>
>> The computing power on B-52H ECM up to the early 80's when I retired
>> was still mostly the EWO. SAC wasn't exactly a leader in ECM
>> technology..
>
>The B-52 ECM suite at that time was still basically 1950s tech.
>Hydraulically-tuned magnetrons and the like.

No. The hydralic-tuned transmitters, ALT-6B/ALT-22, had been replaced
completely by then. At least on our H models. The main high power
stuff was the souped up 60's era voltage tuned BWO ALQ-155s, but they
hadn't been hooked together yet for power management. Still turn the
knob to change freqs. Some of the other newer stuff, TWTs mainly, was
basically about as far as you could go digital, but still not really
"computer" controlled..

[Jay Beckman]

"Henry J. Cobb" > wrote in message
m...
>
http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzgrum143670438feb14,0,4952103.story?coll=ny-business-print
> The Navy's current fleet of EA-6B Prowlers jam enemy radar by
> transmitting electronic signals over broad frequency ranges to "blind"
> hostile radars. The ICAP-III, in comparison, uses software to rapidly
> focus its jamming energy on any frequency band being used by an enemy
> surface-to-air missile system.
>
> Can the one guy in the back seat handle all of this, even with the
> fancy software?
>
> Will Growlers operate in pairs to search out and jam radars?
>
> And will the JSF be used as a weasel to "HARM" (with JSOW) the radars
> the Growlers are jamming?
>
> http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/docs/990300-JSOW.htm
> All JSOW variants incorporate global positioning system/inertial
> navigation system (GPS/INS) guidance and an aerodynamically efficient
> airframe to allow delivery aircraft to remain outside the lethal reach
> of enemy medium range surface to air missiles (SAMs).
>
> -HJC

Do a search on the term "Frequency Agile"

One guy can do it ... One guy with good software can definately do it!