The Invisible War: Electronic Warfare in Ukraine and the Future of the Spectrum

While the headlines from Ukraine often focus on tanks and trenches, an equally important battle is being waged in the electromagnetic spectrum. This SITREP examines the critical role of electronic warfare (EW) in the conflict, from the jamming of GPS signals to the disruption of drone communications. It's a high-stakes, cat-and-mouse game that is providing a sobering preview of a future peer-level conflict.

The headlines from Ukraine are filled with images of artillery duels and trench warfare, a brutal throwback to the conflicts of the 20th century. But behind these visceral images, an equally important, and largely invisible, war is being fought. It is a war for control of the electromagnetic spectrum, a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where the prize is the ability to see, to communicate, and to fight effectively. The war in Ukraine is a sobering preview of the central role that electronic warfare (EW) will play in any future peer-level conflict.

Both sides have been engaged in a relentless effort to jam, spoof, and disrupt the other's communications and sensor systems. GPS signals, which are essential for navigation and precision-guided munitions, have been a prime target. Both Russia and Ukraine have deployed a wide range of GPS jammers, turning large swathes of the battlefield into a navigational nightmare. This has forced both sides to fall back on older, less precise methods of navigation, and has had a significant impact on the effectiveness of so-called 'smart' weapons.

Drones, which have become a ubiquitous feature of the modern battlefield, are another key target for EW systems. The small, commercial drones used for reconnaissance and artillery spotting are particularly vulnerable. Their control links are often unencrypted, making them easy to jam or even hijack. This has led to a new kind of arms race, with both sides constantly developing new, more resilient drone communication protocols, and new, more powerful jammers to defeat them.

The war has also highlighted the importance of signals intelligence (SIGINT). The ability to listen in on the enemy's communications, to locate their command posts, and to track their movements has been a critical factor in a number of key battles. This has led to a new emphasis on communications security, with both sides moving to more secure, encrypted radio systems.

The lesson from Ukraine is clear: the electromagnetic spectrum is now a contested domain, on par with land, sea, and air. We can no longer assume that we will have unfettered access to GPS, to satellite communications, or to the radio spectrum. We must develop new, more resilient systems that can operate in a contested EW environment. And we must train our soldiers to fight and win in this new, invisible war.