CACI Executive: DOD Needs to Invest to Ensure EW Competitive Advantage

The Department of Defense needs to be creative in approaching space-based communications to ensure that the United States has a competitive advantage in electronic warfare, according to Mike Nagata, a senior vice president at CACI International.

Speaking at SOF Week in Florida, Nagata, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, said the gap between where the country should be and where it is now has been growing through the years. His remarks come on the heels of developments in the conflict in Ukraine, where Russia has shown its technical advantage in warfare technology, DefenseOne reported.

Also at SOF Week, U.S. Special Operations Command officials disclosed plans for two EW initiatives: the Satellite Deployable Node program and the Tactical Local Area Network program. Both significantly use commercial off-the-shelf products and services to ensure soldiers have the needed tools in the field.

Electronic warfare systems modernization initiatives are being rolled out across DOD organizations. Last week, Science Applications International Corp. said the U.S. Army has partnered with the company to upgrade its signals intelligence and EW systems, aiming to enhance the capability to identify vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation measures.