The Army is shifting how it trains for the electromagnetic fight. For a decade the service largely relied on centralized, platform-level electronic warfare assets and ad hoc quick-reaction kits. That is giving way to a model that emphasizes distributed, man-packable nodes, shorter high-intensity training events focused on spectrum kill chains, and tighter integration between EW specialists and maneuver leaders. The result is a new training problem set: how to teach small-unit commanders to employ, protect against, and exploit the spectrum in the same breath they teach movement, fires, and logistics.

Why a focused exercise model makes sense

Modern contested environments place a premium on tempo and deception in the electromagnetic domain. The technical trend toward lighter, software-defined radios and modular mission payloads lets commanders push EW effects down to the platoon and squad level. Man-pack nodes can perform detection, geolocation, and limited attack or deception, and multiple nodes can be networked to create cooperative sensing and effects. Training that compresses that sequence into repeatable, measurable drills makes units more tactically competent faster than long, vehicle-centric exercises alone.

What to train for: concrete skills and metrics

At the platoon and company level the basic EW skill set narrows to a few mission-critical tasks:

  • Detect and classify emitters under noisy conditions.
  • Localize signal sources with direction finding or multilateration while on the move.
  • Apply discrete electronic attack or deception tailored to mission intent and ROE constraints.
  • Provide timely EW reporting and link that data into the unit C2 picture so maneuverers can act. Training should include time-to-detect, time-to-localize, hit rates for targeted RF interdiction, and the ability to maintain comms resilience while executing EW tasks. These are measurable outcomes that translate directly to combat value.

Platforms and programs driving the change

A handful of fielded and near-fielded systems are the enablers of the small-unit EW approach. Lightweight systems like the VMAX family provide dismounted units with detection, location, and limited jamming capability in a man-portable package. Program offices and industry partners have built into doctrine the expectation that hundreds of these nodes will be distributed to tactical formations. Parallel efforts such as the Terrestrial Layer System for Brigade Combat Teams and manpack TLS variants show the Army is explicitly moving to a family-of-systems approach that scales from dismount to vehicle. Those programs lower the technical barrier to making EW a routine part of company- and platoon-level tactics.

Doctrinal and C2 complications

Software and hardware availability are only part of the problem. The Army also needs the software layer that plans and coordinates EW at scale. Historically the service has pursued tools to visualize and manage electromagnetic operations from the command post to the tactical edge. That programmatic path has seen fits and starts, and recent program changes have left program offices re-evaluating how to deliver EW battle management to users. That uncertainty matters because training events must replicate the same C2 flows soldiers will see in combat. Until the EW planning and management layer is stable, trainers must design exercises that force manual handoffs and degraded C2 scenarios so units learn to operate under imperfect conditions.

Training design: what a “Spectrum Blitz” should look like

A Spectrum Blitz model is a short, intense, repeatable training iteration that focuses on the detect-localize-affect feedback loop. Key design elements:

  • Duration: 3 to 5 days per blitz, allowing multiple iterations and immediate after-action learning.
  • Participants: mixed EW teams, maneuver squads, fires elements, and TOC nodes to practice handoffs.
  • Injects: simulated GPS denial, spectrum congestion, and low-cost drone ISR that produce realistic RF backgrounds.
  • Scoring: objective measures for detection latency, localization error, successful neutralization of high-value emitters, and friendly comms survivability.
  • Reprogramming: an on-site reprogramming cell or library that can push new waveforms to systems between iterations so operators train with evolving threats. By sequencing short blitzes across different ranges and terrain, the Army can accelerate TTP development and build a doctrine set that works across the force.

Range management and safety

Realistic EW training requires controlled RF emissions. Training ranges and range scheduling must account for civilian spectrum users and safety. Spectrum managers need to be embedded in exercise planning early so emissions are cleared, and so simulated effects can be used where live emissions are constrained. Where legal or safety limits prevent live jamming, high-fidelity emulators and RF-in-the-loop testbeds must be used. Embedding spectrum specialists in the training design team reduces risk and keeps exercises repeatable.

TTPs, not just boxes

The primary failure mode in fielding EW tech is treating it as a hardware problem. The operational dividend comes from TTPs. Spectrum Blitz-style iterations should therefore prioritize:

  • Cross-training of maneuver leaders on basic EW capabilities and limitations.
  • Doctrine that clarifies who authorizes what effect and how EW ties to fires.
  • Fast feedback loops between operators, analysts, and product managers so software-defined systems receive realistic waveform updates. These human and organizational factors are the multiplier that turns nodes into operational advantage.

Bottom line

The move to distributed, man-packable EW systems and the need for fast, iterative learning make a Spectrum Blitz model the logical next step in Army training. Short, measurable, spectrum-focused exercises that chain detection to effect, and that force units to operate with degraded C2, will build the tactical competency needed for future contested operations. The technical building blocks exist. The immediate work is doctrinal: write the TTPs, harden the C2 pathways, and institutionalize short, repeatable training cycles that normalize EW at the maneuver level.