Overview
Electromagnetic force protection capabilities refer to defensive systems and technologies that shield military units from enemy electronic warfare (EW) attacks, particularly jamming and signal-based targeting. These capabilities are critical components of the electromagnetic spectrum operations triad: electronic attack (jamming), electronic support (sensing), and electronic protect (defense).
Key Capabilities in FY26 Budget Request
The Army's fiscal 2026 budget request identifies several key investments in force protection:
Modular Electro-Magnetic Spectrum System (MEMSS)
- Funding: $9.1 million R&D
- Origin: Evolved from the Modular Electromagnetic Spectrum Deception Suite (MEDS) science-and-technology effort
- Purpose: Provides force protection and freedom of maneuver through "radio frequency technical effects" (classified capabilities)
- Approach: Prioritizes iterative development with commercial-off-the-shelf components
- Deployment: Delivered to units via the Transforming-in-Contact (TiC) initiative for experimental testing during exercises and deployments
Counter Surveillance Reconnaissance (CSR)
- Funding: $34.4 million R&D
- Purpose: Family of systems providing force protection at echelon (division, corps, theater levels) through enhanced situational awareness, operational planning tools for effects coordination, and electronic support capabilities
- Key Features:
- Timeline: Prototype development begins Q2 2026; first unit issued Q3 2029 (line of effort 1), with lines 2 and 3 in Q4 2030
Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems
- Funding: $1.5 million R&D
- Purpose: Develop an integrated multi-mission electronic warfare force protection system that can respond to changing signals of interest employed by adversaries
- Innovation: Leverages AI and advanced analytics for rapid reprogramming on the battlefield, addressing historical delays (months) in devising countermeasures when new enemy signals are discovered
- Status: Shifted from prior budget cycle; now part of agile funding pilot under Electronic Warfare program
Spectrum Situational Awareness System (S2AS)
- Funding: $17.6 million procurement + $8.9 million R&D
- Purpose: Provides sensing and visualization of unit signatures in the electromagnetic spectrum, enabling real-time reporting on command post emissions, coalition/interference sources, and threat signals
- Contractor: 3dB Labs awarded other transaction agreement for prototype development (prior to FY26 budget)
- Procurement: Army plans to buy 20 systems under new start in procurement
- Deployment: Transforming-in-contact units inform program maturation
Strategic Context
The investments reflect lessons from Ukraine, where observations demonstrated that units can be located and targeted with munitions solely based on their electromagnetic emissions. The Army's Multidomain Operations Range Guide states: "Commanders must be able to see themselves to control their emissions and defeat the enemy's ability to sense, identify, locate, and target them. This is critically important when observations from current conflicts around the world show there are eight minutes from identification in the EMS to artillery impacting on the detected location of said emission."
These capabilities operate within the Army's broader Electronic Warfare Agile Systems Development program, which consolidates electronic warfare, unmanned aerial systems, and counter-UAS into a single portfolio for enhanced responsiveness to real-world events.
Related Concepts
- nonlethal-weapons-technologies — Six categories of nonlethal technologies including electromagnetic capabilities
- cognitive-electromagnetic-warfare — Military capability targeting human consciousness through electromagnetic means; officially recognized in NDAA 2026
- civilian-kill-chain-framework — Operational framework mapping F2T2EA kinetic targeting cycles to non-kinetic cognitive and neurological disruption capabilities
- dod-directive-3000.3-comparison — Comparison of DOD Directive 3000.3 framework with international standards including Chile's Law 21.383 on cognitive liberty and EU AI Act provisions