Electronic Warfare GCC Conference is held in Abu Dhabi

Experts gathered to discuss ways of tackling a growing threat of cyber warfare in the region and elsewhere.

ABU DHABI // GCC countries gathered in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss ways of tackling the growing threat of electronic warfare, which uses focused energy, usually radio waves or laser light, to confuse or disable an enemy’s electronics.

With the electromagnetic spectrum becoming far more congested and complex, Brig Gen Hamad Al Neyadi, commander of the UAE Armed Forces’ electronic warfare, said the phenomenon was seen as key by commanders in combat decision-making.

“The ability to provide indicators and warning of potential threats of aggression combined with the capacity to provide a platform to protect makes it an essential tool in the military arsenal,” said Brig Gen Al Neyadi at the fourth Electronic Warfare GCC conference. “It is truly a joint capability covering the air, maritime and land environment, and, as such, requires careful coordination in its use, especially in the increasingly congested electronic spectrum.”

He said the conference offered the opportunity for GCC officials to hear from a range of highly experienced experts who operate outside the region.

“The theme is aimed at keeping pace with the changes in the technical and operational areas of the electronic warfare battle space,” Brig Gen Al Neyadi said. “The main areas of focus are joint electronic warfare management, planning consideration, multinational operations, cyber warfare and training.”

Military officials said there was a need for a joint force, and more training to manage the evolving technical and operational changes within the electronic warfare environment.

“The electromagnetic environment has changed from the old certainties,” said Chris Bushell, a retired air vice marshall with the British Royal Air Force. “It is far more complex, congested and contested.”

He said electronic warfare equipment had also changed.

“There is far more need to integrate all of this together and the people who are capable of doing this and are very specialised are only a small pool,” he said. “We need higher skills to support or operate these systems.”

Mr Bushell said the world had changed in the past five years, when the world first began to see cyber attacks..

“There is also an evolution of threats like radio frequency guided and infrared guided systems,” he said. “Since 2011, there has been a continued proliferation of more advanced surface to air missile systems emerging in a number of conflicts and the introduction of unmanned aerial systems as well as the spread of cyber.”

He said the international community was more reluctant to committing ground troops to foreign conflicts.

“For the first time, an F-22 aircraft was deployed by the US which suggests the threat from air defence systems is being taken seriously,” he added. “The complex threats are driving the evolution of digital electronic warfare systems, and cyber defence is also on a much higher priority list. The change is very broad and wide.”

He said there was a need for an overall intelligence picture and the application of joint force.

“You need training to support all of this, it’s not just hardware or software,” Mr Bushell said. “We’re seeing an increase in that demand to deliver that training.”

Colonel Basil Al Momani, from the Jordanian armed forces, said countries should monitor a range of conventional radio frequencies and create a frequency watch list to identify any indications or warning of threat.

“The world is facing new types of threats,” he said. “Terrorism is growing and spreading rapidly which puts a lot of pressure on our shoulders to take it down.”

Royal Navy Commander Dave Hewitt, who oversees the executive wing at the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre, said electronic warfare was a challenge, particularly in the Gulf.

“It provides a lot more than platform protection. The challenges from the threat are software driven systems, which are much more complex.”