Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) comprise all active and passive means of degrading or deceiving enemy sensors and weapons through the spectrum (Electronic Counter Measures). This chapter goes through the whole arsenal, ordered by what each means attacks:
- The radar's SNR — noise jamming (Noise jamming): drowning the echo in noise.
- The tracking logic — deceptive jamming (Deceptive jamming) and cover pulses (Cover pulse jamming): making the radar believe in false echoes.
- The weapon's choice of target — decoys (Decoys), chaff (Chaff) and flares (Flares): offering a more attractive false target.
- The seeker itself — DIRCM (Directional Infrared countermeasures): blinding or confusing the sensor.
- The energy balance — stealth (Stealth) and tactics (Counter-IR tactics): making sure that simply too little signal reaches the sensor.
One reading tip first: every technique in this chapter exploits a specific mechanism from Radar, Infrared or Executing the fire control sequence using the EMS. Each section therefore refers to the mechanism being attacked — anyone who sees that connection does not need to learn anything by heart.
This course material describes the principles at the level of open (textbook) literature, aimed at understanding and recognition. Actual system parameters, threat libraries and employment procedures are classified and fall outside the scope of this learning resource.