Electronic Warfare: Reducing the SWaP Footprint

Electronic warfare (EW) is rapidly transforming and leading aerospace and defense companies are investing in offensive and defensive capabilities to manage the dense radio frequency environment and electromagnetic field of the battlefield.

The recent wars in Ukraine and Gaza demonstrate in real time and in real life the variety of applications for EW capabilities in highly digitalized and networked active combat zones. Major powers, including China, Russia and the US, as well as a growing number of smaller countries, are pursuing technological parity and investing in the latest EW capabilities.

GlobalData Analytics⁽¹⁾ estimates that the EW market is currently valued at $16.1 billion (2024). This is almost double the value of $9 billion in 2022. GlobalData analysts predict that the market will grow at a CAGR of 4.6% for 11 years from 2022 and reach $21.8 billion by 2033.

The market intelligence firm expects the airborne EW segment to remain the largest segment over the forecast period. By 2024, this segment was worth $8.5 billion and represented 52% of the total global EW market. The biggest drivers of growth are payloads and Early Warning Aircraft Systems (AWACS) with many current 4^e and 5th generation and future 6th generation fighter jet programs seeking to integrate EW capabilities.

The growth of parallel defense segments such as missile defense, unmanned systems and airborne C4ISR has further driven investments in multi-functional airborne EW products as commanders look for increasingly versatile solutions to counter emerging threats.

In terms of spending, the US is expected to remain the largest investor in the global EW market – a fact fueled by concerns within the US Department of Defense over the risk of conflict with powers such as China and Russia, as the relationship between these governments has become increasingly icy in recent years. The U.S. Department of Defense is actively pursuing an EW research, development, and integration program for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Several European countries have increased their investments in response to the growing threat posed by Russian EW capabilities. India and South Korea are also increasing investments to modernize in line with new risks and available technology.

Growing in complexity

The complexity of the digital battlespace drives the demand for multifunctional and flexible solutions. According to GlobalData’s Patent Analytics database, the leading innovator within the EW market, based on total number of patent publications, is French defense chief Thales, whose expertise and investments in the EW value chain have seen it gain a large share of both the secured European and North American markets for electronic warfare. . Recent patents granted to Thales cover a range of EW-related concepts such as GNSS geolocation, RF signal boosters, multimode antennas and EM signature masking solutions.

EW patent activity was particularly vibrant between 2017 and 2020 and now many of these technologies and concepts have reached a level of maturity and are being sold on the market.

Communications equipment must be rapidly deployable and ensure interoperability with existing platforms even in the most extreme environments, even as new technologies make the electronic components that make up these systems smaller and hotter.

The rise of AI, both in data processing and decision-making, increases both the power consumption and heat generation of electronics. According to Stephen Riker, business development manager, Aerospace & Defense, nVent SCHROFF, this additional heat creates one of the biggest challenges for defense electronics engineers today.

The challenges of SWaP

“The Army today focuses on three key development factors based on size, weight and strength – or SWaP,” Riker said. “Engineers are challenged to fit more electronics into a smaller footprint – more processing power in a smaller footprint.

“Protecting and cooling these electronics is truly one of the biggest challenges for electronic packaging and for engineers today, and it will only become more complex as systems like AI and machine learning are introduced.”

Riker explains that these new systems will require enormous amounts of computing power to perform the advanced functions required: “The electronics, processors and the chips themselves are getting smaller and hotter. And as a chip’s footprint becomes smaller, it becomes more difficult to dissipate heat.”

For example, airframe upgrades often require expanding space for electronics, which is difficult due to production constraints. The electronics package must fit in the same space. And to add to all this, thermal cooling systems on military vehicles or aircraft must be extremely robust.

Protecting technology in harsh environments

nVent SCHROFF has been a pioneer in electronic infrastructure for a wide range of applications for more than sixty years, including C5ISR, PNT, radar and weapon systems.

“nVent offers a great line of products that are used in anything with high shock and vibration, meaning they go into jets, tanks and satellites. There are a huge number of companies using our product, all with high shock and vibration and critical components that require cooling,” says Riker.

Riker explains how nVent SCHROFF products work in combination with the electronics.

“We have a line of products that dissipate the heat from the hot processor itself to a housing. We are the world’s largest manufacturer of what we call printed circuit board (PCB) retention products, which not only hold those hot computer assemblies in place, but also dissipate the heat from that hot processor to an environment that will cool it. We are talking about conduction cooling, forced air and liquid. These are the three options the military currently uses to cool electronics. There are specific specifications, such as VPX, VITA and SOSA that most of the military is adopting.”

However, developments in AI technology are causing chips to become hotter than ever before.

“Many companies are using conduction cooling today, but with AI and machine learning we will see this expand. They will no longer be able to cool electronics using conduction alone. They will have to move on to something else, like liquid, and we are offering that service to our customers today.”

Although people have been using liquid cooling in home computers for years, Riker notes, systems for military use need to be made more robust: “That’s where some new specifications, like VITA 48.4, give you the foundation to do that, and we’ve used that specification to release some of our own products that solve that problem: liquid cooling in a harsh environment.”

Chip-level cooling – a new frontier

Riker explains that with AI, the next step of thermal cooling technology will have to be different.

“I see AI revolutionizing data history and actually being adopted across the military. Next-generation processing power will really fuel all of this. Higher data rates. You will need more complex software programs written for new systems, but the size, weight and power will still not change. SWaP will continue to be a major consideration in electronic packaging.

“What we’re looking at now is not just liquid cooling, but liquid on chip, which is a little bit different. Instead of wrapping a board in aluminum, you now have a device that cools at chip level. And that, I think, is really the next step for us as a company.”

Download the report below to learn how nVent SCHROFF’s industry-leading enclosures can protect and cool high-tech military electronic systems on ships, tanks, ground control stations, aircraft and unmanned vehicles

GlobalData: Thematic Intelligence Aerospace, Defense & Security, Electronic Warfare, May 2024 ↑

Sign up for our daily news roundup!

Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights.