What Type of Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Assets are Needed?

Once you have categorized your electronic HPTs, you need to have a way to tell your IEW assets what you want them to do. Do this by providing your IEW assets a list of priorities on a target list worksheet. Remember to include both ESM (passive) and ECM (active) priorities.

Staff Actions

You and other staff officers determine ESM and ECM priorities by war gaming. Remember that ESM must support ECM. ESM may also help you answer the commander’s PIR.

Your S3 ultimately determines ECM priorities (based on staff input). The S2 determines:

• ESM priorities based on your commander’s PIR and IR.
• The S3s ECM priorities.

Figure 12-2. Electronic options.

• When and where on the battlefield the PIR, IR, and ECM become most important.

The IEWSE officer relays your unit’s ESM and ECM priorities to your attached or supporting IEW assets. Figure 12-3 is an example of a completed EW target list work sheet. It shows how you can synchronize those priorities to support the DST. In this example, identifying and locating enemy reconnaissance units of the 141st MRR is the number one ESM priority because the commander’s top PIR initially is to locate enemy reconnaissance units.

The second and third ESM priorities are to identify and locate divisional and regimental air defense assets. Note that the first ECM priority is to jam divisional air defense nets. In this case, the third ESM priority supports the first ECM priority. Your EW assets cannot jam those nets without first finding them.

Obviously, the first ECM priority reflects that CAS is important to the success of the mission, and jamming enemy divisional air defense nets supports the planned CAS mission. If you compare the target list work sheet to the DST, you will see the relationship between ESM and ECM priorities and how the unit intends to fight the battle in time.

Electronic Warfare Target List Worksheet

Specifics of the EW target list worksheet follow:

• Time window is the time you want your assets to spend looking for the target; or the start/stop times you want your assets to jam the target.
• Target unit is the specific unit or target you are looking for. The more specific you are, the easier it is for your IEW assets to find it.
• Target location is where you expect the target to be. Location can be based on actual information or on situation templates.
• Target activity is the specific type of communications you want collected or jammed.
• Control mechanism is how you want the target unit to be jammed (such as spot jamming, barrage jamming). Your IEWSE can tell you more about the advantages and disadvantages of each type of jamming and can recommend which kind will best support your mission.
• Feedback and coordination is exactly what you are looking for; for example, location and identification of the target and effectiveness of jamming. Check with your S3 to see what kind of feedback is required. Again, your IEWSE can help in this area.

Figure 12-3. EW target list worksheet.

Target List Worksheet: Reconnaissance and Surveillance Plan

An EW target list worksheet is the equivalent of an R&S plan for your IEW assets. It tells your assets what they should look for, when they should look for it, and what and when to jam. The EW target list worksheet should be a total staff effort among you, the S3, the FSO, and the IEWSE.

Remember, you should not be concerned with the details of how to collect the information, such as which specific asset should do what, and where each asset should go. Those details are left to the attached or supporting MI unit and your IEWSE. Simply tell them what you want, and let them figure out how best to do it.

You must, however, make certain that the emplacement of your IEW assets does not interfere with your unit’s mission. Therefore, make sure your IEWSE coordinates all IEW positions with your S3. Also, remember to continually monitor those IEW positions so that they do not get overrun or outdistanced by maneuver units.

Keep your IEWSE updated on the enemy frontline trace and insist on frequent status reports on your IEW assets. Figure 12-4 is a list of organic or supporting MI units by echelon. Figure 12-5 is an electronic attack options chart. Figure 12-6 shows IEWSE officer responsibilities. FM 34-40 provides a detailed discussion of EW operations.

Figure 12-4. Supporting IEW units by echelon

Figure 12-5. Electronic attack options.

Figure 12-6. Brigade IEWSE officer responsibilities