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Electronic warfare

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An Erusean Air Force EA-18G Growler in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown; note the electronic pods under the wings and the receiver antennas on the wingtips
"Ghosts aren't so bad once you figure out the trick behind 'em."
― Chopper[1]

Electronic warfare (EW[2]) involves the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to assist friendly forces or disrupt enemy forces during a military operation. Electronic warfare takes various forms in the Ace Combat franchise, including disruption to the radar and HUD and modifications to weapon lock-on and performance.

Some Ace Combat games also give the player access to special weapons that utilize electronic warfare. These include the Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) or Electronic Counter Measure Pod (ECMP); the Electronic Support Measure (ESM); and the combined Integrated Electronic Warfare System (IEWS).

Types

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Countermeasures

Electronic countermeasures (ECM[2]) involve offensive electronic warfare intended to disrupt the enemy.

Radar jamming

Radar jamming—the act of flooding enemy radar with noise—is the most common form of ECM. Belkan and Erusean forces used radar jamming during the Belkan War and Continental War, respectively, to blanket enemy radars with noise and hide their units' positions.[3][4][5][6] Erusea also used specialized noise jammers to render ISAF radars almost useless in Gnome Ravine.[7]

During the Aurelian War, Leasath captured an Aurelian weather observation site on Mount Nevera and converted it into the Nevera Jammer, a powerful jamming facility that caused frequent loss of radar and communications in a large radius.[8] This affected both Aurelian and Leasath forces; Leasath transports in the Monte Breeze Industrial Area could not detect Gryphus 1's approach, and Aurelian ground forces at Monte Breeze had to use infrared to share the positions of Leasath's transports with Gryphus 1.[9]

A less common form of radar jamming is a "saturation decoy"[2] that adds false target signatures to confuse the enemy into wasting their ammunition. The earliest-known units that employed this type of ECM were a Zone of Endless F-15 S/MTD[10] and ADF-01 FALKEN during the Usean coup d'état.[11] Belka, having developed Zone of Endless, also used saturation decoys against Osea in the Circum-Pacific War by providing the technology to Yuktobania[1] and using it themselves.[12] Mimic Squadron later used saturation decoys against Trigger during their brief dogfight over Artiglio Port.[2]

Radio jamming

Jamming can also be used to saturate radio frequencies with noise. Belka's Grabacr Squadron employed this tactic during the Circum-Pacific War to disable Osean and Yuktobanian radios,[1][12][13] and a Belkan E-767 disabled Wardog Squadron's ability to find Kei Nagase's distress beacon until they shot down the aircraft.[14] The Nevera Jammer caused significant communication delays and distortion between Leasath's transports and Monte Breeze's control tower,[9] as well as between Gryphus 1 and Eugene Solano.[8]

Affecting weapon systems

Another form of ECM uses jammers to disrupt or disable weapon systems. Belka used an array of four jamming stations placed throughout Tauberg to disable the Allied Forces' weapon lock-on in the area around Excalibur and each station.[15] Erusea used a single station in the center of Stonehenge to similarly disable the ISAF Air Force's ability to lock-on when flying near Stonehenge;[16] Erusea's noise jammers in Gnome Ravine[7] and Leasath's Nevera Jammer accomplished the same task.[8]

During the Lighthouse War, the Erusean Air Force deployed three EA-18G Growlers to hinder Strider Squadron's weapon systems, but they were not completely disabled.[2] The Alicorn was equipped with a similar jammer that disrupted, but did not disable, Strider's and Cyclops' weapons.[17] In Mimic Squadron's second and final encounter with Trigger over Anchorhead, Rage and Scream used a special form of ECM that repeatedly reset Trigger's weapon lock-on.[18]

As a side effect

Effects similar to those caused by electronic countermeasures sometimes manifest as side effects of unrelated actions. For example, the seven nuclear detonations during the Belkan War caused degraded or lost radio communications throughout the Waldreich Mountains and distorted Galm Team and Crow Team's aircraft HUDs.[19] The destruction of low-orbit satellites during the Lighthouse War resulted in temporary loss of radar for all Osean forces[20] and crippled Usea's communications infrastructure.[21][22]

Counter-countermeasures

Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM[1]) involve defensive electronic warfare intended to protect against electronic countermeasures. ECCM is rarely seen in Ace Combat; its only known use was by AWACS Thunderhead to counteract Belkan jamming of Osean radio frequencies (unaware of the Belkan origin).[1][13]

Support measures

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The Electronic Support Measure, as its name suggests, will provide support for allies in the battle. It was firstly introduced in Ace Combat Infinity as aircraft's special weapon. The allies that are within radius effect will gain longer duration to maintain the Tactical Datalink before loss to it when trying to get out from its range. This, if is translated, means giving advantages for allies such as faster missile lock-on & firing speed and longer missile lock-on range.

ESM returned in Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown as an allied EW aircraft. It works the same as it did in Infinity, however allied ESM can and will be negated by enemy ECM.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mission 10: "Blind Spot", Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 SP Mission 01: "Unexpected Visitor", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
  3. ↑ Mission 04A: "Juggernaut (Gelnikos)", Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
  4. ↑ Mission 10S: "Mayhem" (Soldier), Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
  5. ↑ Mission 14C: "The Final Overture (Jupiter)", Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
  6. ↑ Mission 04: "Blockade", Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Mission 13: "Safe Return", Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Mission 11A: "In Pursuit I", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mission 10A: "Joint Operation", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  10. ↑ Mission 21: "Kingpin", Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy.
  11. ↑ Mission 23: "Fighter's Honor", Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mission 18+: "8492", Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mission 17: "Journey Home", Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
  14. ↑ Mission 15: "White Noise", Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
  15. ↑ Mission 09: "Sword of Annihilation", Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
  16. ↑ Mission 12: "Stonehenge Offensive", Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies.
  17. ↑ SP Mission 03: "Ten Million Relief Plan", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
  18. ↑ SP Mission 02: "Anchorhead Raid", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
  19. ↑ Mission 12: "The Stage of Apocalypse", Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War.
  20. ↑ Mission 15: "Battle for Farbanti", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
  21. ↑ Mission 16: "Last Hope", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
  22. ↑ Mission 19: "Lighthouse", Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown.
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