“In 2004, the Army had no EW operational expertise, so we had to stand up an operational Electronic Warfare Officer capability again. Now, we have EWOs coming out of the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. These officers have expertise with EW,” Ryan explained.

Also, Electronic Warfare Officer instructors and Field Service Representatives now go through additional training at an Army-run facility near Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD, called CREW University. Trainees, from the Army as well as other services and government agencies, go through a series of instructions regarding use, maintenance and technical support for a range of EW technologies.

Installing, operating and sustaining EW systems on vehicle platforms such as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, High Mobility Multi Wheeled Vehicle  (HMMWV), and heavy tactical trucks constitutes a large part of the training as well.

“We walk them through a series of technical reviews where they learn to upload software tailored to address threat information, maintain and install the systems,” said Willie Jackson, Training Manager for PM EW, CREW University. “Also, we talk to theater once a week so that we know what we need to work on. We try to be proactive and stay current. Also, the technology has gotten better. The EW systems are synchronized so that when they react and act, they do not jam one another.”

Overall, the Army’s EW near and longer-term strategies are squarely centered around the clear priority of building on successes and continuing to improve Soldier protection for current and potential future challenges, Ryan emphasized.

“Soldiers tell us every day that these systems are working and saving lives. We’ve had a lot of anecdotal stories where convoys equipped with Dukes have gone into routes known to have heavy IED activity. When they pass certain points, there are explosions outside of their envelope because the Duke protected them,” said Ryan.

Kris Osborn became the Managing Editor of Scout Warrior in August of 2015. His role with Scout.com includes managing content on the Scout Warrior site and generating independently sourced original material. Scout Warrior is aimed at providing engaging, substantial military-specific content covering a range of key areas such as weapons, emerging or next-generation technologies and issues of relevance to the military. Just prior to coming to Scout Warrior, Osborn served as an Associate Editor at the Military.com. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at CNN and CNN Headline News. This story originally appeared in Scout Warrior. 

Note: (Large Portions of this Article by Kris Osborn, Were Originally Published in the U.S. Army's Acquisition, Logistics & Technology Magazine, when he previously served as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Army's Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army - Acquisition, Logistics and Technology - ASA (ALT).

Image: Creative Commons.