From the Battle of Marathon to the Battle of Bakhmut, the military’s goal has not changed.
Find. Fix. Finish.
The development of systems operating within the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS), however, has transformed the operational environment. Used in World War II and recognized as important during the Cold War, the EMS has only recently been violently contested and heavily congested in the Ukrainian atmosphere. If Admiral Sergei Gorshkov wrote his famous maxim today, it would probably read: Whoever does not have spectrum superiority will not last the battle.
Over the past year, CRFS has carefully evaluated this doctrine by engaging with EW operators who use our technology in real-world operations and applying our expert understanding of the EMS to help address the warfighter’s greatest challenge: seeing the enemy before being seen. CRFS’ lightweight, tactical solutions empower warfighters to locate the enemy, helping them address threats and achieve Electromagnetic Superiority and Supremacy (E2S).
Radio communication is the backbone of military operations, enabling Command and Control (C2), situational awareness, and a tactical advantage. It is also a critical enabler for effectively executing Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP) during operations.
Despite modern waveform manipulation techniques aimed at avoiding, defeating, and evading detection and interception, any transmission has the potential to give away your—or the enemy’s—position. Ensuring robust emissions control (EMCON) by constantly monitoring the EMS and baselining allows forces to detect, capture, and geolocate RF signals—providing critical intelligence for defensive or offensive maneuvers.
Adversaries’ active EW systems serve as force enablers and multipliers, disrupting and degrading allied capabilities. These systems can be either large military vehicles, such as the Murmansk BN, designed to eliminate High Frequency (HF) broadcasts from NATO forces, or small drones with EW payloads, such as the Eleron-3 UAV with a jammer payload.
Jamming critical frequencies degrades the effectiveness of communications and RF-dependent weapon systems and jeopardizes friendly forces from achieving E2S.
Forces need to be able to continue operating in high-jamming environments and address the source of the jamming. The former can be achieved with cutting-edge anti-jamming technology. The latter can be achieved by continuously monitoring the spectrum with a network of RF sensors, which works with software to rapidly identify and geolocate any high-power transmitter causing interference. Forces can then make informed decisions by either moving communications away from jammed frequencies or delivering a kinetic effect.
Drones have radically changed the dynamics of modern warfare. Despite performance compromises and the risk of capture, cheap COTS drones now offer tactical advantages over large, expensive systems procured through a Program of Record. However, neutralizing these drones can be costly; for example, in 2024, the US Air Force downed Houthi drones with AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, costing $472,000 per missile.
To address these threats efficiently, counter-drone technology requires a clear picture of the EMS, requiring a multi-sensor solution. The RF component should be able to detect every type of drone that emits an RF signal using signal detectors. Some systems only recognize the kind of drone, but it will not be detected if it is not in the library.
Being able to identify RF emissions from a drone (including telemetry data and video downlinks) as well as ones emanating from its ground station offers enhanced precision. Upon detecting a specific signal, the system instantly runs a 3D geolocation, delivering real-time intelligence of the target’s precise location over time.
Addressing threats in the EMS involves three critical components:
Together, these elements will facilitate quick decision-making and immediate countermeasures by making command-and-control more effective and providing intelligence directly to the warfighter.
Threats in the EMS, such as jamming, spoofing, and hostile signal transmissions, can quickly leave friendly forces vulnerable by disrupting communications, navigation, and situational awareness. Traditional systems like fixed infrastructure or man-portable systems are either inconvenient or too dangerous to deploy on the Forward Edge of Battle Area (FEBA), meaning that threats are not identified in real-time.
An alternative is to deploy a network of rapidly deployable tactical surveillance systems on the FEBA when there is the least risk to life. This network can detect threats, process data on the edge, and backhaul the data to a command-and-control (C2) center located outside the immediate combat zone. If individual sensors are destroyed during combat, there is no risk to life, and—as long as there are enough sensors—the network will remain operational.
When conducting the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), understanding the electromagnetic space is vital. In complex environments, as traditional ISR platforms can be expensive, inflexible, and vulnerable, unmanned systems equipped with RF sensors provide a cost-effective and agile solution for monitoring and analyzing the spectrum. They can also be used to baseline the operational environment, which is vital, as abnormal activity may indicate an impending enemy operation.
Due to the increased line-of-sight they afford, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proved adept at conducting ISR missions. However, their relatively light Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW) means that integrating RF sensors (traditionally weighing over 6kg) has not been possible.
A new generation of RF sensors weighing less than 2kg is changing this, allowing forces to monitor the spectrum at greater altitudes, meaning the assets are further away from active combat zones. Tactically, placing sensors at a distance behind the FEBA can be advantageous as it may cause the enemy to overreach and commit an error.
Combining air and unmanned ground units allows units to create an adaptable multidomain network of receivers for advanced passive ISR over huge areas.
The EMS is contested and congested: Contested due to jamming, spoofing, and low-power or covert signals to disrupt communications and gain tactical advantages. Congested due to the proliferation of RF-emitting systems—ranging from military radars and communication networks to civilian devices in urban areas.
Traditional RF sensors struggle in this environment: Centralized processing makes latency a problem, which limits real-time decision-making. Complex signals like frequency-hopping and low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) signals can evade detection. An overwhelming amount of data requires significant computational power and human intervention.
Super-fast RF sensors significantly reduce latency, enabling real-time decision-making. Their ability to handle complex signals enhances Probability of Intercept (POI) and ensures that adaptive threats are identified. By incorporating edge processing, these systems operate autonomously in disconnected or remote environments, analyzing data without relying on centralized systems. These sensors shorten the Sensor-to-Shooter (S2S) cycle, by delivering immediate, actionable intelligence ensuring a tactical advantage in contested environments.
The vast number of highly complex signals on the battlefield poses several challenges—understanding what the threat is and where it is before targeting and neutralizing it. To compound the issue, the pace of change is relentless: the enemy’s strategy today will not be the same as it was yesterday, and it will change again tomorrow.
While AI has been touted as a panacea, many RF experts agree with Al Bowman, who says that “prioritizing the use of AI over fully understanding the problem to be solved leads to inevitable complications and deficiencies.” Instead of relying on AI as a universal solution, highly skilled RF engineers often need a flexible and configurable way to hunt for complex signals in huge datasets before classifying and geolocating them. Combining ‘weak humans’ with the right process often produces more efficient results than relying solely on algorithms.
Not getting the right EW data to the right person in the right place at the right time deteriorates outcomes and puts lives at risk. Conversely, exporting data from spectrum monitoring and geolocation software directly to a battlefield management system (BMS) displayed on the warfighter’s chest provides actionable intelligence in real-time.
No longer can NATO allies and their partners take ES2 for granted; the culture of electromagnetic warfare is now deeply engrained into adversaries’ military doctrine. The old order is being challenged by the pace of change, which is spurring tactical and technological innovation. The Sensor-Decider-Effector chain must be cost-effective and rapid as the future battlefield will not be defined by who has the most firepower, but by who can see, deceive, and dominate in the EMS.
Join thousands of professionals who subscribe for exclusive insights and early access to our reports and analysis.
