Kosovo Validates EW Needs, But Shows Assets Are Slim

摘要

Lessons the U.S. learned from the Kosovo conflict emphasize the need for airborne electronic warfare aircraft, but point to problems with the number of assets. The experience affirmed that the upgrade priorities are valid, and "we're not in the process of buying anything that would not have been used," said Capt. John Scheffler, the Naval Air Systems Command's EA-6B program manager. Still, with the EA-6B as the only tactical jammer for the Air Force and Navy, there were some force structure problems. Surprisingly, the crunch was not with aircraft, but a shortage of flight crews. Even with pilots flying a major mission each day from Italy, six days a week, and logging 90 hr. a month, there were still not enough flight crews to fly the required sorties. So the Navy had to pull instructors out of the training squadron in Whidbey Island, Wash., to beef up the deployed forces.