Context:

Recently, Electronic Warfare Conference “Spectrum” 2024 was conducted by Base Repair Depot Najafgarh, Delhi.

Theme: “EW: Trends, Technologies & Maintenance Challenges” 

About Electronic Warfare

• It is the ability to use the electromagnetic spectrum signals – such as radio, infrared, or radar – to sense, protect, and communicate. 

Electronic Warfare is most commonly subdivided into three categories: 

• Electronic Support Measures (ESM): It involves actions taken to search for, intercept, locate, record and analyse radiated electromagnetic energy, for the purpose of exploiting such radiations to support military operations.
• It involves gathering of EW information through Electronic Intelligence (ELINT), Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and ESM receivers. 
• Electronic Countermeasures (ECM): The actions taken to prevent or reduce the enemy's effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Two major actions of ECM are jamming and deception.
• The deliberate radiation, reradiation, or reflection of electromagnetic energy to impair the use of electronic devices is called Jamming.
• The deliberate radiation, re-radiation, alteration, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic energy in a manner intended to mislead the enemy is called as deception.
• Electronic Counter- Countermeasures (ECCM): The actions taken to ensure friendly, effective, use of the electromagnetic spectrum despite the enemy's use of EW are known as ECCM.

India’s Initiative for the Electronic Warfare

• Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) System ‘Shakti’ has been designed for Capital Warships of the Indian Navy for the interception, detection, classification, identification and jamming of conventional and modern Radars.
• It has been integrated with the wideband Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Counter Measure (ECM) for the defence of Indian Navy Ships against missile attacks.
• Programme Sangraha – a joint DRDO-Navy Programme which envisaged design and development of five different types of indigenous EW systems.
• Programme Samyukta – It is a joint Army-DRDO integrated Electronic Warfare Programme.