EW Testing Lessons Learned

Electronic Warfare EW testing is one of the more challenging undertakings in the Avionics community. EW tests are typically fraught with a myriad of problems due to the inherent complexity of tests involving multiple vehicles, radars, data collection, and data processing, as well as the complex nature of Electronic Warfare itself. Electro-Radiation Inc. ERI has been at the forefront of EW testing for many years, from B-52 to B-2 and from F-101 to F-22. While it is impossible to prevent all problems, it is possible to prevent the same problems from repeating. This paper applies many of the lessons ERI learned from its extensive EW testing experience, and offers recommendations of how to avoid repeating them. Electro-Radiation Inc. ERI has been a leader in the field of Electronic Warfare EW testing for many years. During this time, it has been seen that the complexities of EW testing create an enormously challenging environment. A typical EW flight test involves multiple aircraft, both jammers and victims ground test radars ground reference radars airborne reference radars a central facility for real time flight and test control telemetry and displays for real time observation data collection post data processing to generate error information a laboratory to test and program the EW system, with associated signal sources, meters, scopes, monitors, test boxes, reprogramming tools, and spares for emergency repairrework and a classified work area with data storage for manuals and test data. For any single days test, as many as 50 people from several Government agencies and contractors can be involved. In the center of this is the EW tester, who has responsibility for about 100 variables and control of perhaps 3. Given this complex scenario, it is not surprising that many problems arise. It is virtually impossible to run such an enterprise without problems.