Aerospace Daily
November 1, 2001

Congress Wants Single Defense Department EW Office, Staffers Say

The Defense Department needs to have a single office at the Pentagon that deals exclusively with Electronic Warfare (EW) issues, two House staffers said at the annual Association of Old Crows symposium in Washington.

"We need to consider establishing a joint EW office in DOD," Ken Miller, a senior legislative assistant to Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-Pa.), said Oct. 29. "Congress needs a single point of contact to address EW shortfalls."

Pitts co-chairs the Congressional Electronic Warfare Working Group, which is dedicated to raising awareness of EW issues and spending priorities. The group has been a frequent critic of DOD for not investing in new EW programs.

However, the group also focuses on raising awareness in Congress and has made a great deal of progress in "breaking down the terminology" to ensure that each EW area is addressed adequately in the budget process, according to Miller.

"We found that EW suffers a significant public relations problem," Miller said. "It doesn't blow things up and it doesn't have a tangible aspect."

DOD and Congress need to do a better job of balancing EW with other areas of defense, he said. "We are replacing late '70s technology with late '80s technology," Miller said. "We need 2001 technology."

For a lot of Capitol Hill staffers, forging a consensus is difficult, said Christopher Bolkcom, an aerospace analyst at the Congressional Research Service. EW is a low profile issue, Bolkom said at the Old Crows symposium.

"There is no single platform or line item, and the nomenclature is confusing," he said.

Criticism of 'divergent' Air Force, Navy approaches

There are "many substantial roadblocks" to improving the military's EW capabilities, said Tim Miller, a military legislative aide to Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.). One of the main problems is the "divergent agendas of the Air Force and Navy," he said, speaking at the same conference. "The problem is that we hear both sides of the agreement and it's very confusing."

The Air Force has been singled out by Congress for not funding EW requirements adequately (DAILY, Oct. 8). The Air Force has allowed its EW capabilities to degrade over the past decade, according to critics, and instead relies increasingly on its stealth capabilities.

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are all currently looking at replacement alternatives for the EA-6B Prowler, the tactical jamming aircraft used in Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) missions. The Prowler, which entered into service in the 1970s, is due to be retired in 2010.

The Navy is conducting an Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) study to make recommendations on the Prowler's replacement. While the F/A-18G Growler has been cited as a leading candidate to replace the Prowler, there are other alternatives on the table.

Ken Miller warned DOD "not to rush to judgment" on the Growler and to examine the issue thoroughly. If the Growler is determined to be the best choice, "that's great and we'll support it," he said.

In some cases, Congress is attempting to push DOD down the modernization road. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) added $10 million to the House fiscal year 2002 defense authorization bill to jump-start development of a replacement for the Prowler. The Pentagon planned to seek the money in FY '04, but Akin's provision would move up the testing for a replacement by two years.

Whatever the decision on the Prowler's replacement, DOD needs to speak with one voice on these issues, Tim Miller said.

"We need a single bellybutton in DOD to tell one story," he said. "We will continue to pressure DOD to have one voice tell the whole picture."

Asked how Congress might convince DOD to establish a joint office, Ken Miller replied, "we can go the legislative route," adding that congressional appropriation authority could be used to create the office.

"A joint program office would help EW to be placed back on the burner," he said. "What is important is to have that single office with budget authority in DOD. But we don't want to force it."

-- Sharon Weinberger