The concept of operations philosophy is migrating to the world of defence system research, design and development.

Traditionally the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) approach is associated with a commander’s intent on the battlefield. What are their goals, how will they be achieved and what are their assumptions?

In our latest podcast, we catch up with Mack McKinney of smoothprojects.org. Mr. McKinney is an experienced teacher who has trained thousands of students during his career. He specialises in applying the CONOPS approach to system design and development. He shares with us how CONOPS can help the realisation of complex systems, particularly in the electronic warfare domain.

In our latest podcast we chat to Norm Wade, author of Cyberspace Operations and Electronic Warfare, and owner of The Lightning Press.

The Armada postbox was recently graced with the arrival of Norm Wade’s Cyberspace Operations and Electronic Warfare book. Published by The Lightning Press, of which Mr. Wade is the owner, the book is an excellent primer on these two facets of war.

Clear, concise and augmented with excellent diagrams and graphics, the book is an indispensable addition to the bookshelves of anyone with an interest in electronic and cyber warfare. The work is available both as an ebook and a paper copy. To learn more, and to order your copy, visit https://www.thelightningpress.com/smartbooks/cyberspace-operations-smartbook/

The RV Jones Institute is working hard to foster excellence in electromagnetic spectrum operations.

The institute takes its name from Dr. Reginald Jones, the assistant director of intelligence for science at the UK’s Air Ministry during the Second World War.

In this edition of Armada International’s Electronic Warfare podcast we catch up with Melinda and Steve Tourangeau. Ms. Tourangeau is the chair of the institute’s board of directors and the institute’s executive director, while Mr. Tourangeau is the institute’s dean. They talk to us about the organisation’s important work and how members of the electromagnetic spectrum operations community can get involved.

The EMSOpedia is a welcome edition to the canon of electromagnetic support operations literature. It is the subject of our latest Armada EW podcast.

Electronic warfare is notorious for its complex lexicon. As part of its 70th birthday celebrations Elettronica has developed the EMSOpedia (Electromagnetic Support Operations Encyclopedia). This valuable online resource is a one-stop shop for clear and concise definitions of electronic warfare terminology. 

In our latest EW podcast we catch up with Daniela Pistoia, Elettronica’s corporate chief scientist, and head of the EMSOpedia’s scientific committee. She tells us about the EMSOpedia’s scope and how members of the EW community can get involved with the project.

A new authoritative report on Russia’s Western Military District gives useful insight on the air defence posture of this robustly defended region.  

In our latest Armada EW Podcast we chat to defence analyst and director of Rochan Consulting Konrad Muzyka.   

An expert on the Russian military, his new report entitled Russia’s Forces in the Western Military District (WMD) provides a much needed, detailed analysis of Russia’s military capabilities in the WMD. Of particular interest is the district’s air defence posture.   

Mr. Muzyka sheds some valuable light on these important, but often misunderstood, capabilities.

Revolution is in the air in the Asia-Pacific as defence industrial sectors in the region change and adapt to new strategic realities.

In our latest Armada Electronic Warfare Podcast we catch up with Tate Nurkin, non-resident senior fellow with Forward Defence at the at the Brent Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security of the Atlantic Council. Mr. Nurkin recently authored a publication entitled The Five Revolutions: Examining Defence Innovation in the Indo-Pacific Region. This report, which is sponsored by Thales, examines how technological change is affecting the defence-industrial domain in the region, including in the electronic warfare sector. It employs Mr. Nurkin’s ‘Four Revolutions’ framework which he developed as a mechanism to understand and interpret dimensions of modern conflict and military competition.

The ever-present threat of MANPADS attacks on civil aircraft continues to concentrate minds around the world and is the subject of our latest Armada EW podcast.

Since 1978 293 people have lost their lives in during attacks on civilian aircraft executed by Man-Portable Air Defence Systems. Bird Aerosystems produces self-defence equipment designed to protect civilian and military aircraft against these threats. Mr. Mazor shares his thoughts on the trajectory of the civilian counter-MANPADS market, its drivers and restraints in our latest Armada International Electronic Warfare podcast.

In our latest Armada Electronic Warfare Podcast we catch up with Anthony Nigara of L3Harris to discuss how multifunction EW can help Multi-Domain Operations.

Descriptions differ but broadly speaking Armada defines Multi-Domain Operations, known as ‘MDO’ in Pentagon parlance, as integrated operations with sea, land, air and space forces at the tactical, operational and strategic levels enhanced by the integration of personnel, sensors and platforms for the rapid sharing of data.

This integration is intended to allow friendly forces to navigate the famous OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) loop of strategist Colonel John Boyd at a quicker pace than one’s adversary.

In our latest Armada EW Podcast, we chat to Anthony Nigara, vice president of strategy and business development in L3Harris’ space and airborne systems division. He shares his views on multifunction electronic warfare and what it can contribute to MDO.

The Foxbat was one of the most feared and enigmatic aircraft of the Cold War. We chat to Mike Guardia, author of the new book Foxbat Tales: The MiG-25 in Combat about the aircraft’s innovative radar.

The MiG-25 (NATO reporting name Foxbat) combat aircraft first graced the skies in March 1964, entering service with the Soviet Air Force in 1970. Reaching top speeds of almost Mach Three (1,600 knots/3,000 kilometres-per-hour), the MiG-25 was a potent interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft.

For the Foxbat, speed was life. It had little in the way of self-protection, but it did have a mysterious radar under the nose. The Smerch series transmitted on an X-band frequency of 9.993 gigahertz/GHz, but had a secret dual band capability allowing the radar to also transmit on a Ku-band frequency of 14.9GHz.

In our latest Armada EW Podcast Mr. Guardia reveals what made the Smerch radar special, and how the West unravelled its secrets.

Armada International and Asian Military Review Editor-in-Chief Andrew Drwiega talks with Shaun Schaper, Cobham’s engineering specialist, about how an issue called rotor shadowing led Schaper to co-develop a new service called SB-Helo X-Stream, which enables satcom to operate effectively through the rotor disc of a helicopter.