EW Academy · Contents · Chapter 13 · Nederlandse versie
Chapter 13: EW: Electronic Support Measures
The listening pillar of EW: how ESM systems detect, untangle and identify emissions, with the Radar Warning Receiver, the Missile Approach Warning System and a practical case from RWR warning to countermeasure.
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13.1Introduction
Electronic Support Measures (ESM, Electronic Support Measures ) are the sensory pillar of EW: intercepting, direction-finding and identifying the opponent's transmissions, in support of immediate operational decisions — warning, evading,…
Read §13.1 →13.2Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)
The RWR is a set of ears around the aircraft. It hears radars, recognises them by their "voice" and tells the crew who is looking, from which direction and how dangerous it is.
Read §13.2 →13.3Missile Approach Warning System
The Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) answers the question the RWR leaves open: is a missile actually coming at me? A SARH missile gives itself away indirectly through the CW illumination ( Semi-Active Radar Homing ), but a passive…
Read §13.3 →13.5From pulse to threat: the ESM chain
The start of this chapter listed the four steps of ESM: intercept, measure, identify, respond. Behind those words is a chain that processes thousands of pulses every second. Whoever understands how that chain works also understands why an…
Read §13.5 →13.6Practical case: from RWR warning to countermeasure
A fictitious, simplified scenario that brings together the material of Executing the fire control sequence using the EMS , Missile Guidance , Electronic Counter Measures and this chapter. For each step, read what the crew hears and sees,…
Read §13.6 →13.4Conclusion
The essence of this chapter — and at the same time the end of the whole learning path:
Read §13.4 →