Question:
The interesting question is not why the
American "surveillance plane" on a "routine"
patrol collided on April Fool's Day with a Chinese MIG,
but why such the US needs such patrols with 24-man crews
off the coast of China. To collect signals intelligence,
including ELINT and RADINT, the US spends billions of
dollars on unmanned satellites in geo-synchronous orbit
that can intercept signals from any place of interest
in the world and lower-orbit "ferret" satellites
that can be sent anywhere they are needed. What then
is the special mission of EP-3E ARIES "surveillance
plane" along the coast of China?
Clue:
The EP-3E
II has a capability that satellites lack.
Answer:
The EP-3E ARIES
II is designed for electronic warfare. It collects SIGINT
data, as do satellites, but unlike satellites, which
are essentially passive collectors, the EP-3E has the
capability of using it for real time, in times of conflict,
to assist aircraft and missiles in penetrating enemy
air space It accomplishes this mission in two ways:
first, it builds a “library” of relevant frequencies
and locations of an enemy’s radar, which it can instantly
supply allied planes so they can evade or confuse defenses;
and, second, it has equipment for orchestrating countermeasures
to disrupt and disintegrate the radar network.
To perform this
mission, it must ferret out a potential enemy’s “order
of battle” for its radar by tracing emanations from
early-warning stations, air-defense systems and air
bases when they are “lit up,” or activated. If radars
are not activated, it must somehow provoke a potential
enemy into doing so. In the early days of electronic
warfare, US planes actually flew into Russian air space,
simulating an attack, to get Russians to turn on its
air defense system. But this was an extremely dangerous
exercise (according to some estimates, about two hundred
US airmen were lost in these secret missions.) Safer
means ways were found subsequently to provoke another
country to activate its radar without intruding into
its airspace. While a satellite cannot provoke this
reaction, a plane, which can maneuver, disburse decoys
and emit confusing signals, can accomplish this feat.
Hence, the EP-3E ARIES II.
According to the
official (non classified description) the EP-3E ARIES
II SSIP is a flying war room. Its crew of 24 includes
an Electronic Warfare Mission Commander (EWMC); Electronic
Warfare Aircraft Commander (EWAC); Senior Electronic
Warfare Tactical Evaluator (SEVAL); and Electronic Warfare
Operators (EWOP), who operate mission subsystems called
Story Teller,, Story Book and Story Classic. Story Teller
provides a capability “to manipulate selected organic
and non-organic data and view a composite tactical situation
display, correlate multiple onboard sensor inputs with
selected external data link inputs, and communicate
value added information via selected data links and
communication networks.” Story Book provides a capability
to assess the tactical picture and expeditiously add
SIGINT data to communications data links, and provide
a “situation awareness based on special signals exploitation.”
Story Classic system provides search and acquisition
system for low band signals (which can detech stealthed
planes). It also presumably has undisclosed capabilities.
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