Harnessing the invisible: challenges and opportunities in managing electromagnetic warfare data
In contemporary conflicts, where tactical advances are often geographically small, even small gains can lend themselves to larger strategic outcomes. The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is no different, and as a domain of warfare is equally, if not more, contested than land, sea, and air.
Bobby Lower, Business Development Manager at MASS
Ongoing conflicts across the globe have led to the strategic role of EW, reshaped military doctrines and showcased the overriding importance of effectively managing vast amounts of data generated within this invisible battlespace. Yet, as global militaries integrate cyber and electromagnetic activities (CEMA) into broader operational strategies, harnessing EW data for actionable intelligence can be challenging.
THE EW DATA CHALLENGE
At its core, managing and exploiting EW data involves coordinating and synchronising a multitude of signals, sensors, and systems to deliver a unified and cohesive picture of the electromagnetic environment (EME).
For defence forces globally, the primary objective is to use this ever-growing repository of data for information advantage through insights that provide cross-domain superiority. However, the unique challenges posed by EW data collection, processing and dissemination reveal both the critical capabilities and limitations of modern defence infrastructure.
The primary challenge, largely, lies in the volume and diversity of data collected. EW platforms capture signals across a broad spectrum of frequencies and modulations, each requiring analysis for relevance and potential threat. This influx of data is compounded by a range of sources, from radars and communication signals to sensors on drones and satellites. Without an effective process to manage this flood of information, defence forces risk being overwhelmed rather than empowered. A 21 st century example of how Clausewitz’s Fog of War looks in today’s conflicts.
Organising and categorising the many types of electromagnetic data is also challenging, especially without a universal standard for data formats. Different platforms often use unique, proprietary systems which
limits data sharing. This is most apparent during joint missions with allies who have varied equipment. Overcoming these technical barriers is essential for coalition forces to create a shared view of the electromagnetic environment, which is key for coordinated battlefield responses.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF CEMA
The merging of CEMA data has emphasised the need for unified command structures to coordinate and inform offensive and defensive actions across both areas. A strong CEMA strategy enables defence forces to launch combined attacks, such as using electromagnetic jamming to disable enemy radars while exploiting cyber vulnerabilities in their networks, leaving adversaries open to further attacks. However, achieving this level of integration is complex, requiring not just new technology but also changes in military command practices.
Added to this, traditional structures often struggle with the fast-paced demands of CEMA, which requires quick sharing of data and decisions across often-displaced cyber and EW teams. Testing joint CEMA command units in an active conflict is an opportunity to explore such integration. If effective, this integrated model could shape future military operations, improving cross-domain coordination and ensuring data becomes an operational advantage.
To help militaries consolidate CEMA data into a single source, MASS recently launched THURBON CEMA, a new centralised database management system. Enabling users across land, air and maritime domains to operate in a multithreat environment more effectively, the system also enhances battlespace spectrum management and spectrum visualisation. By synchronising offensive and defensive, and enabling activities across the electromagnetic environment and cyberspace, it acts as a force multiplier, streamlining decision-making and improving operational efficiency.
Crucial to fast paced environments, THURBON CEMA provides near real-time intelligence and a richer multithreat dataset to support information dominance. Added to this, it also helps reduce the cognitive burden on operators by providing a single data source and bringing
Bobby Lower, Business Development Manager at MASS
all CEMA activity into one database. Enabling quicker decision-making based on real-time data, the management system supports forces in gaining the operational and information advantage.
THE ROLE OF SECURITY
However, data exploitation in EW is only as effective as the resilience of the infrastructure supporting it. In highly contested environments, ensuring the integrity and availability of data is paramount. The recent surge in cyberattacks targeting military communication and sensor networks really highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect EW data.
Beyond immediate threats, a failure to secure CEMA data from cyber intrusions risks long-term operational integrity, as adversaries may exploit collected data to develop countermeasures from the target’s own sovereign data. This risk provides the adversary with the advantage.
Maintaining the appropriate level of security at secure sovereign locations is, understandably, an easier way to maintain the integrity of CEMA infrastructure. In these locations, data can be protected in secure environments that have multiple layers of both cyber and physical security.
However, the requirements to provide this information to the edge, or even process in these more challenging locations, requires significantly more security considerations. For example, deployed environment nodes can manage this but even with fail safes built in should the network being disturbed, the risk from an adversary is inherently higher. Added to this is the operational and
practicalities of a deployed environment node – they require vast amounts of power and in turn cost and time to create.
There is a clear need to balance the accessibility of information at the edge with the ability to maintain the security of vital data, which we’re currently seeing in conflicts across the globe.
THE NEW ERA OF EW
As recent conflicts have demonstrated, EW data management and exploitation are not merely technical challenges; they represent a shift in military strategy. Managing this ‘invisible battlespace’ effectively requires a holistic approach that combines cutting-edge technologies, adaptive strategies, and resilient infrastructure. From basic analytics to cyberelectromagnetic integration, the solutions to these challenges lie at the intersection of technology and doctrine.
The next phase of EW data exploitation will likely hinge on developing interoperable platforms that allow for seamless data exchange between allies, and the rapid evolution of AI and machine learning capabilities that can keep pace with adversarial tactics. By harnessing these capabilities, defence forces can hope to achieve a comprehensive picture of the EME and gain a decisive edge in modern conflicts. For defence strategists worldwide, the message is clear: the electromagnetic spectrum is now a battleground that must be managed and exploited with the same precision and urgency as any physical domain.
