Joint Publication 3-13, Information Operations - The Global ...

Chapter II
For more discussion on OPSEC, see JP 3-54, Operations Security.
e. Electronic Warfare
(1) EW refers to any military action involving the use of electromagnetic (EM) and
directed energy to control the EM spectrum or to attack the adversary. EW includes three major
subdivisions: EA, electronic protection (EP), and electronic warfare support (ES). EA involves
the use of EM energy, directed energy, or antiradiation weapons to attack personnel, facilities, or
equipment with the intent of degrading, neutralizing, or destroying adversary combat capability.
EP ensures the friendly use of the EM spectrum. ES consists of actions tasked by, or under direct
control of, an operational commander to search for, intercept, identify, and locate or localize
sources of intentional and unintentional radiated EM energy for the purpose of immediate threat
recognition, targeting, planning, and conduct of future operations. ES provides information
required for decisions involving EW operations and other tactical actions such as threat avoidance,
targeting, and homing. ES data can be used to produce SIGINT, provide targeting for electronic
or other forms of attack, and produce measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT). SIGINT
and MASINT can also provide battle damage assessment (BDA) and feedback on the effectiveness
of the overall operational plan.
(2) EW as an IO Core Capability. EW contributes to the success of IO by using offensive
and defensive tactics and techniques in a variety of combinations to shape, disrupt, and exploit adversarial
use of the EM spectrum while protecting friendly freedom of action in that spectrum. Expanding reliance
on the EM spectrum for informational purposes increases both the potential and the challenges of EW
in IO. The increasing prevalence of wireless telephone and computer usage extends both the utility and
threat of EW, offering opportunities to exploit an adversary’s electronic vulnerabilities and a requirement
to identify and protect our own from similar exploitation. As the use of the EM spectrum has become
universal in military operations, so has EW become involved in all aspects of IO. All of the core,
supporting, and related IO capabilities either directly use EW or indirectly benefit from EW. In order to
coordinate and deconflict EW, and more broadly all military usage of the EM spectrum, an electronic
warfare coordination cell (EWCC) should be established by the JFC to reside with the component
commander most appropriate to the operation. In addition, all joint operations require a joint restricted
frequency list (JRFL). This list specifies protected, guarded, and taboo frequencies that should not
normally be disrupted without prior coordination and planning, either because of friendly use or friendly
exploitation. This is maintained and promulgated by the communications system directorate of a joint
staff (J-6) in coordination with J-3 and the joint commander’s electronic warfare staff (or EWCC, if
delegated).
For more discussion on EW, see JP 3-51, Joint Doctrine for Electronic Warfare.
f. Computer Network Operations
(1) CNO is one of the latest capabilities developed in support of military operations. CNO
stems from the increasing use of networked computers and supporting IT infrastructure systems by
military and civilian organizations. CNO, along with EW, is used to attack, deceive, degrade, disrupt,
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JP 3-13