Once again Gripen, now the Electronic attack variant

Once again Gripen, now the Electronic Attack variant

    It's the IAF's wish to acquire a fleet of electronic attack jet similar to the American Growler. Since ages the IAF keep trying to insists the ministry to acquire a fleet of such electronic attack variants. So far  US and the Australians are the one who operates such dedicated jamming fleet, and now Chinese modifying the JH 7 for such duties and Russians also started working on the Su 34 by converting into Jamming aircraft. The Brazil is another country who makes contract with Swedish company for possible electronic attack variant based on the Gripen NG platform.

    The Gripen also proposed the IAF officials to jointly produce the EA variant of Gripen NG along with Brazil and Sweden. The IAF yet to respond the offer, Since the Gripen has not capable to combat in much longer missions, since it comes with single engine and smaller in size, compared to  other fighter jets in it's variant.

    SAAB's aeronautics executive vice president  Sindahl said in a interview " If you look into future combat scenarios, if you have a high-end air force with a broad threat situation, something like a ‘Growler Gripen’ would make a real difference,That‘s what we’re looking into, and that’s why it’s so good to have Brazil on board with the F-model ".

    The future combat air battle involves much complex condition include denial of modern combat system in the fighter jets by using dedicated jammers to disrupt the frequencies. US is the master in such technologies using such jamming planes since decades. By checking their combat loses in air warfare is very minimal compared to other air forces. And they almost capable to shoot down any hostile aircraft with the powerful support jets before the enemy found the presence of foreign aircraft's. Even in the F 117 shoot down in Serbia, the US post mission brief reported that the lack of support system like EA 6B prowler's absence makes the SA 125 successfully intercept the F 117. Interestingly later days almost all US offensive combat fleet comes with dedicated electronic jamming jets.

    In the Iraqi invasions US flown as much as 100,000 sorties over the Iraqi air space. That time Iraq has much better air force and surface to air missile batteries. In that combat US lost only 44 fighter jets in combat missions, and another 40 in Accidents. The EF 111 Raven is used to provide electronic support to the collation aircraft and there is no Coalition aircraft were lost to a radar-guided missile during Desert Storm while an EF-111 Raven was on station. EF 111 Raven later replaced by the EA 6B prowler, then the same was replaced by the EA 18G growler.

     The US uses the long range twin engine fighter jets for such missions. The same goes for China and Russia too. The JH 7 is a twin engine long range heavy fighter and the same goes to Su 34, which is  also a long range low flying heavy fighter. The IAF must choose either the Su 34 based EA or the Growler. unlike the Gripen which comes in shorter range and not capable for long range stand off Jamming support.

Su 34 with center line and wingtip jammers

    For jamming each jamming pods requires much power to generate high frequency radio waves, which require high energy means more fuel. The Growler comes with five dedicated AN ALQ 99 pods, which needs high power to emit much powerful radiation to jam ground based radars and airborne radar guided missiles. The emitting power should be greater than the enemy missiles electronic guidance for successful jamming. Those jamming pods in the EA 18 G produce more than 60 kW of energy in all bands in desired speed and altitude for successful jamming.

     Self protection jamming pods like SAP 315 in Sukhoi's can provide jamming support to own fighter jets and will not support other or friendly forces nearby. The Russian KRET who producing SAP jammer's are to be fitted in the center line or wingtips of the Su 34 and other Flanker variants for self protection to fight and operate inside the communication denied air spaces.  They comes with the idea of converting a Su 34 by adding multiple SAP pods for dedicated stand off jamming capability for safe operations and provide jamming support to the friendly jets for operating under a safe umbrella . It may be available for exports too and it's a good choice of choosing the Su 34 for IAF's dedicated jammer fleet.

Krakusha EW system

  Another one is the ground based Jammer systems. The same KRET who manufactured SAP jamming pods also manufactures ground based jammers for communication and signal denial. They almost completed a bigger sized jamming antenna's in occupied Crimea to stop NATO aircraft's misadventures in future conflict. Another mobile jammer is the Krasukha EW system comes in a 4x4 wheel for battlefield jamming. The Russians already deployed the systems in Syrian Latakia base to stop any foreign fighters air space activities. Comparison between the airborne jamming and ground based jamming is, one is offensive and another is defensive.

    However Indian Air force uses the self protection jammers only for self defense. It comprises Israeli and french EW pods for Su 30 and Mirage fleet's respectively. And there is no ground based or air borne based dedicated stand off jamming systems, except those AEWCS systems. which can also works like a Jammer. It's high time that Ministry should clear the IAF proposal of buying such dedicated Jamming fleet.

China making Growler version of Xian JH 7

China making Growler version of Xian JH 7

  As a truth that future warfare fully relies on the Air power, whether it's a fighter jet or the missiles,  mean time there were couple of technologies also adopted by the fighters and missiles is the countermeasure suites, to make sure their travel is safe and secure from guided missiles , almost all of the fighter jets and Military cargo and Transporters uses the Flares and Chaffs to disrupt the guided missile, at best chaff's are used to confuse the radar guided missiles which uses aluminized glass filament or silver coated nylons, and the Flares used to spoof the infrared or heat seeking missiles by dropping number of burning magnesium or hot burning materials,

   But those are ineffective due to several reason, they can be used very quickly making empty the shells, and because of modern missiles they can easily bypass any kind of chaff's and flares, which is  the widely used countermeasure systems, But later technologies emerged to confuse the missile by it's data link, usually missile transmit and receive target information through a unique frequency which is mostly in the millimeter band which means the frequency range is somewhere between 60 to 120 Ghz, as per some open sources the AGM hell fire missile uses the 94 Ghz frequency to transmit the target information, while the missiles actual frequency is Top secret. so It's needed a amplifier system that can generate the frequency same at the missile frequency to disrupt it,

   The Americans and the Israeli's found that application very early now they were masters in such warfare, usually the Americans use the AN ALQ 99 pod which generates the frequency that can spoof almost all kind of Air to air, ground to air and Radar signals, the Specially designed F 18 is used to accommodate such huge Systems, Jamming is same like Communication Jammer COMJAM used to jam enemy communications, however in Air warfare it can be carried by a fighter jet and react very quickly,

   The Chinese now only identified the use of dedicated jamming systems like the American EA 18 Growler, China plans to convert the Fighter bomber JH 7 as their dedicated Jamming platform, it's a good idea since the JH 7 can carry much larger payload, designed to fly very low, and large combat radius to assist the friendlies to complete the mission at long range,

   China already have a COMJAM and EW flying system based on the H 6 bomber, and another model based on the Y - 8, because of huge in size and low speed, those are not combat capable, like air combat or aerial dog fighting's, means the enemy forces can easily identifies the larger plane and kills it very easily if they identified heavy radio frequency interferences,  So it's looks the JH 7 is a good options since it's same like the fighter jets, can also carry out Air to air missions and SEAD operations,

    Meanwhile Still IAF has no good such systems,however is IAF not new to this field, when in Kargil the Indian Airforce mirages used the Remora EW pod designed by the French, which spoofed the Pakistani Stinger missiles, making the bombing run safer even in dense manpad threat zone. also earlier once IAF silently sounded inside their Circle that IAF should buy a squadron of EA 18 Growler from the US, Since it's rival forces could adopt the same kind of technology in future, while the Plans shelved same like other plans, and Now China ramps up it's JH 7 and rebooting with advanced electronic warfare systems,

Pay your attention to the wingtip that's the SAP 518

   However Chinese also have small EW pods in the Su 30 wingtips, it's the Russian origin SAP 518 Jamming pods, the standard Russian wingtip jammers for Flanker and Full back variants, most of the Flanker users like Algeria, Malaysia and Chinese also have the same system, But the Indian MKI don't have such systems, since IAF adopted to use the  Israeli made ELTA EL/L 8222 Jamming pods, However now only India thinks to use the Russian made SAP 518 wingtip jammers in the Su 30 MKI fleet, earlier it was spotted when HAL puts the Su 30 MKI in a vibration test, So it's believed the modified Sukhoi's who used to carry Brahmos also comes with the wingtip Jammers like SAP 518.

   However those Kind of wingtip Jammers or very small, and small range, they never comes close to the AEWCS and dedicated Jamming Fighters bubble, compared to the dedicated Jammers like American EA 18 G, those wingtips are just a small caliber bullets.

   Even Chinese are new to the EW environment, they can study the existing SAP 518 jammers and develop their own and deploy in it's own JH 7 fighter Bombers,  So in future warfare IAF pilots should ready to face the Chinese magic, otherwise IAF should step up to counter such threats by buying modern EW systems or develop our own.