{"id":50726,"date":"2023-07-12T13:23:54","date_gmt":"2023-07-12T13:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/07\/12\/us-military-losing-electronic-warfare-muscle-memory-cq-brown-warns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:41:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:41:44","slug":"us-military-losing-electronic-warfare-muscle-memory-cq-brown-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2023\/07\/12\/us-military-losing-electronic-warfare-muscle-memory-cq-brown-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"US military losing electronic warfare \u2018muscle memory,\u2019 CQ Brown warns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Department of Defense\u2019s ability to fend off attacks on the electromagnetic spectrum has atrophied over decades, leaving troops vulnerable on the high-tech battlefields of tomorrow, according to President Joe Biden\u2019s pick to be the nation\u2019s highest-ranking military officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, nominated in May to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff<\/a>, told senators this week at his confirmation hearing that the military \u201chas lost some muscle memory\u201d when it comes to electronic warfare after spending years fighting lesser-equipped forces, namely in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prioritization of elaborate electronic warfare systems fell off following the Cold War. World powers such as China have since moved to fill the gap \u2014 Beijing\u2019s Strategic Support Force was established in 2015, for example \u2014 after recognizing the value of spectrum domination. Modern militaries rely upon the spectrum to execute everything from communications to weapons guidance to navigation to deception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElectromagnetic warfare operations are dynamic. U.S., allied, partner, and adversary capabilities in the electromagnetic maneuver space are constantly changing, which creates perpetual challenges to get the right capability to the right warfighter at the right time to be operationally relevant against the right threat,\u201d Brown wrote in answers submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee<\/a>, which held the nomination hearing July 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt depends on the adversary,\u201d he continued, \u201cbut against our most advanced adversaries, the Joint Force would likely face challenges protecting itself from electromagnetic attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t