Army to Launch New Airborne Jammer and Ground EW Programs in 2026

WASHINGTON — After discontinuing its decade-long pursuit of long-range electronic warfare platforms, the U.S. Army is preparing to launch new airborne and ground-based EW programs in 2026, marking a significant strategic pivot toward modularity and commercial technology integration.

Brig. Gen. Kevin Chaney, the Army’s Capability Program Executive for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors, acknowledged that the original Multi-Function Electronic Warfare program suffered from an “old-school monolithic acquisition approach.” The abandoned vision—mounting a single large EW pod on an MQ-1 Predator variant and deploying heavy truck-based ground systems—proved inflexible and difficult to deploy globally.

The new strategy represents a Pentagon-wide trend toward distributed, modular architectures. Rather than consolidating capability into a single large platform, the Army will pursue “an incremental strategy using modular designs” that enables rapid updates as threats and technologies evolve.

“We’re going to experiment with this capability in ‘26 and see what capabilities are currently out there,” Chaney told reporters. The airborne jammer will emphasize flexibility and integration of existing commercial options rather than custom development.

For ground-based systems, the Army plans to separate operators, antennas, and emitters across multiple platforms—drones, tethered systems, and ground antennas—increasing survivability on modern battlefields where detection equals targeting. Laurence Mixon, Chaney’s civilian deputy, emphasized that the new approach reduces power requirements and dependence on traditional transmissions that create detectable signatures.

The ground-based effort will incorporate tethered drones and balloons, which draw power and transmit data through ground cables, eliminating bulky fuel systems and radio signatures. The Army is also investigating integration with its emerging Launched Effects family—miniature drones deployed from aircraft or vehicles capable of various payloads.

Col. Scott Shaffer, the Army’s project manager, indicated prototyping will accelerate over the next one to two years. The goal is creating transportable kits compatible with multiple vehicle platforms, focusing on antenna systems, processing equipment, and modular components that minimize footprint.

This departure reflects lessons from Ukraine, where Russian Soviet-era EW systems proved vulnerable despite initial effectiveness. The Army must develop capabilities deployable across both European and Indo-Pacific theaters—a requirement incompatible with large, stationary platforms.

The new vision prioritizes operational flexibility, rapid technological insertion, and distributed architecture—a fundamental reimagining of how the Army projects electronic warfare effects.

Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764968686243-1213