NATO conducts major electronic warfare exercise

Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) spearheaded an electronic warfare and anti-ship missile defence exercise called “Dynamic Guard” from Sept. 4-8 in the Alboran Sea, off Cartagena, Spain.

“Dynamic Guard 23-II” aimed to give Allied forces the opportunity to “test, train and enhance the techniques required to operate in a degraded or denied electro-magnetic environment.“

The NATO Joint Electronic Warfare Staff (JEWCS) lent its expertise to the drill by supplying specialist equipment and knowledge, crafting a lifelike electronic warfare situation.

Almost 1,000 personnel were involved, utilising several ships and aircraft, inclusive of SNMG2’s flagship, the ESPS Mendez Nunez (F104), and four additional Spanish vessels: ESPS Canarias (F86), ESPS Reina Sofia (F84), ESPS Cantabria (A15) and ESPS Vigia (P73).

British Falcon DA-20 aircraft and Spanish AV8B Harriers worked alongside the JEWCS-fitted ESPS Vigia, presenting a variety of genuine threats against which the Allied vessels were tested.

In the exercise, NATO ships were tasked with demonstrating their abilities to pinpoint threats, respond to aggressive electronic warfare tactics, and defend both themselves and the wider task group. This comes in light of the importance of the electro-magnetic spectrum in modern warfare, as evidenced by current events.

“As is being demonstrated every day during Russia’s war against Ukraine, the electro-magnetic spectrum remains a vital component of modern warfare,” mentioned Commander, SNMG2 Royal Navy Commodore Paul Stroude.

“It is essential that our ships retain the technology and skills to be able to operate and defend themselves effectively, as a fully integrated task group, when the electro-magnetic spectrum is contested by our adversaries.”

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