The U.S. Army has unveiled a new strategy and implemented a refined modernization approach to address the need for enhanced electromagnetic warfare, or EW, capabilities.
The Army’s Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors said Monday that the updates align with the defense secretary’s direction to ensure that the military branch achieves electromagnetic dominance by 2027.
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Army Electromagnetic Warfare Strategy
In March, the Army issued a comprehensive EW Strategy to institutionalize EW capabilities across the service branch to support Joint Force operations.
The strategy comes as the Army increases its focus on improving targeting and providing commanders with the capability to support maneuver formations by manipulating the electromagnetic spectrum.
As part of the EW capability update, the Army also has started improving its approach to the Terrestrial Layer System, or TLS, for Brigade Combat Teams, or BCT, and the Multifunction Electronic Warfare-Air Large, or MFEW-AL, program.
Terrestrial Layer System Brigade Combat Teams Rapid Prototyping Program
According to the service, the recently concluded TLS BCT Rapid Prototyping program has informed the transition to TLS Manpack, which is set to become the key EW and signals intelligence system for all BCTs. Full deployment of TLS Manpack systems across all BCTs is expected to occur by fiscal year 2028.
The Army also plans to improve the TLS Manpack system’s capabilities with vehicle-agnostic modular adaptor kits for mounted operations to deliver increased power, enhanced processing and extended range at the brigade level.
Army Multifunction Electronic Warfare – Air Large Program
The Army’s MFEW-AL program will now focus on using commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf platforms to accelerate the delivery of incremental capabilities. The initial capabilities will be available for testing and feedback with Transformation in Contact units as early as FY 2026.
The program will use the incremental capability delivery strategy to meet the Army’s airborne electromagnetic attack requirements.
