The US has already spent approximately $5 billion this year to bolster its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities.
This is according to a report by Army Technology, citing market data released recently by British data analytics and consulting firm GlobalData.
Data shows that America is gaining momentum in EW spending, especially after it accounted for 45 percent of global expenditure between 2021 and 2023.
In contrast, its near-peer adversaries Russia and China only had EW spending shares of 14 and 13 percent, respectively, during that time frame.
According to the market data, Washington invested more in air-based EW systems than land, sea, and space.
In 2033, the US is projected to allocate $7.5 billion to EW capabilities, accounting for 47 percent of the estimated total EW expenditure of the world’s top nine investors.
Gap With China, Russia Closing
Although the US remains the largest investor and developer of EW systems, its position is poised to be challenged.
The market report revealed that the shares of Russia and China will balloon over the next decade.
From an estimated $2.5 billion combined spending in 2024, the two nations’ shares are foreseen to grow to $5.1 billion in 2033.
Earlier this year, Beijing announced a major military shakeup to focus on “intelligentized” warfare, bringing together the country’s electronic, space, cyber, and psychological warfare capabilities.
Moscow has also increased its EW activities, including allegedly jamming multiple civilian and military flights across NATO’s eastern flank.
US Investments
EW commonly refers to the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to sense enemies, protect fortifications, or degrade the adversaries’ ability to use radio frequency signals.
In the US, several endeavors to bolster the country’s EW capabilities have taken place, including in December 2023 when Lockheed Martin tested a US Navy-bound EW system that can be mounted on a helicopter.
The US Army has also deployed a new, artificial intelligence-enabled EW capability known as the Advanced Dynamic Spectrum Reconnaissance for sensing and dodging enemy jamming attempts.
