Cyberspace is recognized as a critical warfighting domain. Operations in the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum have also long been an important piece of the arsenal. Recent advances in software defined radio (SDR), radio frequency system on chip (RF SoC), and artificial intelligence (AI) have demonstrated that electronic warfare (EW) techniques can be even more potent and readily available. For example, manipulation of intelligently adaptive radio signals could disable adversaries’ sensors and communication systems.

Beyond the boundaries of the battlefield, the Pentagon signaled the need for EM capability in 2020, with the DoD Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy and Joint Publication 3-85: Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations.

In the post-modern warfare landscape of today, EW and cyberspace operations (CyberOps) are already being conducted together at an increased rate on the battlefield. In this blog post, I will introduce the concepts of EW and CyberOps, the drivers behind their trend towards convergence, and several key issues in the field.

Information Operations, Electronic Warfare, and Cyberspace Operations

Before going into detail about EW and CyberOps, we need to set out how these two techniques fit within the broader set of capabilities known as military information operations (IO). Information operations encompass the employment of integrated capabilities, such as computer network operations (CNO), EW, psychological operations (PSYOP), operations security (OPSEC) and military deception (MILDEC). The objective of these integrated capabilities is to gain cognitive and/or technical advantage, typically by influencing perceptions and behaviors. As illustrated in the figure below, IO operates across physical, informational, and cognitive domains with the goal of securing an advantage over adversaries, often by disrupting communication systems or through dissemination of propaganda or misinformation.

Figure 1: Military Information Operations

The concept of the convergence between EW and CyberOps has been around for more than a decade; however, there has been an increasing trend towards the implementation and operationalization of EW and CyberOps converged systems. More recently, the ideas codified in the concept of Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) have emerged on the scene in various forms including intelligent communication systems, autonomous platforms, and tactical edge computational capabilities. We will look at these and others in this section.

Technological Driving Factors

A key factor driving the increase in converged systems is the advancement of software-defined radio (SDR) technology and capabilities. While SDRs have been on the market for many years, the most recent advancements seek to reduce size and power consumption while increasing computational capability and enhancing performance. These trends can be readily seen in the advancements in Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) technologies. Modern SDRs have shifted away from using separate chips for radio frequency (RF) front ends and data processing towards utilization of single-chip solutions. RFSoC devices can integrate high-speed analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and digital-to-analog converters (DAC) directly into the chip, significantly reducing size, power, and cost. Contemporary SDRs can support multiple radio chains operating at high sampling rates, often greater than a giga-sample per second, and high instantaneous bandwidths that can allow many (in some cases, 16 or more) independent radio channels within a single device. Combined with adaptive waveforms, SDR software now allows a single-base hardware SoC to alter its functionality almost instantly between communications, radar, and cyber exploitation. This facilitates intelligent jamming techniques where an adversarial protocol can be sensed, understood, and manipulated in real-time.

Advances in edge computing, hardware miniaturization, and integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) tools are also drivers. AI/ML tools can improve signal processing, enable intelligent modulation, manage interference, and provide cognitive radio capabilities where the radio can detect the spectral environment and autonomously change its operational parameters in response. The ever-widening application of AI tools allows systems to automatically detect, classify, and adapt to new, unknown threat signals enabling EW systems to autonomously develop jamming techniques rather than relying on pre-programmed waveform and/or protocol libraries. Hardware miniaturization, edge computing, and hardware-software codesign of systems affords the ability to process RF data closer to the source (edge computing) improved by faster, more efficient embedded processors. This is critical for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, autonomous platforms, and remote sensing. Finally, improvements and advancements in software tools such as MATLAB, LabView FPGA Module, GNU Radio, and other similar tools enable engineers to develop complex, high-performance algorithms without extensive hardware description language (HDL) knowledge and experience. These advancements have helped to increase the ubiquity of wireless networks and connectivity in both civilian and military realms and blur the lines between electronic effects and cyberspace.

Electronic Warfare in the Cyber Domain

To expand on the topic of EW and CyberOps convergence, let’s look at EW in the cyber domain, including how this differs from traditional EW and the new challenges that arise with this integration. A key advantage of utilizing SDRs is reconfiguration flexibility. With the majority of formerly analog radio hardware components (e.g., transistors, capacitors, etc.) now implemented in software, changing a radio’s functionality can be as simple as reconfiguring those software-defined components. This intrinsic flexibility means that SDRs can readily acquire a wider frequency range of spectrum (i.e., greater instantaneous bandwidth), and typically with a higher sample rate (i.e., more data ingested per second). Depending on the RF front-end (antenna, pre-amplifiers, etc.), the frequency range of observation/ingest can be reconfigured on the fly providing enhanced spectral agility. This software-defined adaptability also provides capacity to quickly reconfigure modulations, waveforms, and protocols. Couple this flexibility with advances in digital signal processing and AI/ML tools, and you can begin to develop intelligent radios capable of sensing and reacting to the electromagnetic environment at a much faster rate than any human could observe, process, react, and reconfigure. These intelligent radios are referred to as cognitive radios, and they can provide intelligent reconfiguration at the speed of AI.

By combining the reconfiguration flexibility of SDRs with state-of-the-art CPU/GPU processors at the edge (e.g., limited-resource, wireless network endpoint nodes), new kinds of capabilities can be realized. These processors are designed to operate with small form-factor systems and provide customizable integration of AI/ML tools and models. Even more efficiency can be gained through tailored hardware and software co-design of systems, an area of active research that accounts for specifics of both software and hardware efficiencies to optimize the system performance with trained AI/ML models on resource-consumption efficient hardware platforms.

Given these developments, we are seeing the advent of cognitive radio systems that can sense and react to the dynamic electromagnetic environment at the speed of AI. Employed in EW-type operations, they can quickly evade adversarial attempts at degrading or denying communications (i.e., jamming), learn from adversarial networks to spoof traffic or to wirelessly inject malicious software, and confuse or deter adversarial communications or sensing capabilities.

Kinetic and Non-Kinetic Operations

Cyber, EW, CNO, PSYOPS (IO) are great examples of non-kinetic operations. Kinetic operations are physical force methods (i.e., bombs and bullets). As outlined above, post-modern warfare now comprises increasingly cooperative operations between these two. This intersection includes example techniques, such as kinetic cyber or physical-digital attacks, where CyberOps are employed to inflict physical damage, such as grid shutdowns or overriding safety controls, in industrial systems to cause destruction. Examples of EW supporting physical operations include jamming (non-kinetic) to disrupt communications, radar, and navigation, blinding the adversary before or during a conventional kinetic assault. In parallel with kinetic operations, PSYOPS – information or influence operations that utilize propaganda, disinformation, and/or misinformation – degrades public support as well as the opponent’s ability to make decisions. As the level of global interconnectivity continues to grow, social media platforms provide efficient and impactful avenues to reach many targets with these IO techniques. A few key examples of EW to support physical operations include cyber-physical sabotage (i.e., hacking into industrial control systems (ICS) to destroy components), countering uncrewed autonomous systems (UAS) with lasers or high-power radio frequency (RF) to destroy or disable drones without employing traditional ammunition, and using EW techniques for blinding or manipulating sensors to deny navigation, as seen in many recent conflicts (see here and here).

EW-CyberOps Convergence Impact on Strategy and Doctrine

As noted in our introduction, this continuing trend towards the convergence of EW and CyberOps can be seen in the strategic direction and doctrines of many United States government organizations. The Joint Publication 3-85: Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations published on 22 May 2020 “provides fundamental principles and guidance for planning, executing, and assessing joint electromagnetic spectrum operations (JEMSO) across the competition continuum.”

The DoD Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy, published in October 2020, outlines combined freedom of action in the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically:

The key items to note here are time, place, and parameters of our choosing which indicates the need for U.S. DoD superiority in capability and unified efforts to create conditions for success in congested, contested, and constrained EMOEs (Electromagnetic Operational Environments), which is arguably realized by the convergence technological concepts proposed in this post.

The United States Air Force (USAF) doctrine on Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO), AFDP 3-85, provides a detailed background on EMSO and EW, as well as a good high-level representation of electromagnetic threats. There is also a call for airmen to develop EMS awareness, engagement, and maneuver capabilities, which we will discuss in more detail in the next section. Most relevant to our discussion here, Appendix A details the integration of cyberspace and electromagnetic spectrum operations.

The United States Space Force (USSF) has also recently published doctrine, in September 2025, regarding spectrum superiority and the use of EMSO to gain and exploit advantage in the space domain. This is outlined in the Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) publication SDP 3-104. Like the above publications from other branches, the USSF covers a wide range of topics on the subject; however there, also like the others, the importance of joint all-domain converged capabilities between EW and CyberOps is mentioned in several places.

Opportunity for Training Enhancement

With the continued move towards the integration of techniques and capabilities of EW and CyberOps, there is an essential need for new skills and expertise for professionals in both fields. To develop a workforce that can work in CyberOps and EW, we need to breakdown traditional silos in education, training, and assignments that persist in both domains. Developing and promoting education and training opportunities to force cross-collaboration and technical understanding in these two domains will help to train operators, commanders, and the workforce in navigating the holistic integrated landscape. Government leaders should focus on fostering a training pipeline to upskill workers in the cyber and electronic domains, along with related developments in AI. Through dual-domain collaborations and training, we can develop innovative approaches to CyberOps and EW convergence ensuring that the US warfighter maintains spectral dominance in the complex interconnected global environment. The goal of this enhanced training is to build a bench of mastery for the challenges and opportunities afforded by the trend towards convergences of EW and CyberOps. Underpinning EW and CyberOps convergence implementation is software. Software is crucial to all aspects from the SDRs and CyberOps tools to the AI/ML tools and models, to the connection that allows systems of systems to operate, communicate, and share data. By ensuring the education, training, and assignments also integrate an understanding of software tools and vulnerabilities, the workforce will be better positioned to innovate outside of domain-related silos and envision holistic solutions to challenges and gaps in EW and CyberOps convergence driven post-modern warfare.

The Future of EW-CyberOps Convergence

The future of EW and CyberOps convergence will continue to be driven by technological breakthroughs, or paradigm shifts in the following fields: cognitive radio systems, next generation communications, AI/ML tools, autonomous systems, multi-domain integration, quantum computing, advanced materials development, and energy harvesting.

As previously discussed, the continued development of SDRs and cognitive radio systems facilitates more flexible, adaptive EW systems that can rapidly reconfigure operational parameters to counter emerging threats or exploit vulnerabilities in adversarial networks. Supplemented by rollouts of next generation wireless networks (e.g., 6G cellular) and proliferated low-earth orbit (pLEO) satellite constellations, new opportunities will arise from the offers of lower latency, increase bandwidth, and enhanced connectivity across diverse operational scenarios and environments. These advancements could enable more agile, distributed, and resilient networked warfare capabilities.

Continued advancements in AI/ML tools and their application will likely lead to greater autonomy in EW systems, building on real-time threat detection capabilities that can inform adaptive countermeasures and predictive modeling of adversarial behaviors in cyberspace. Coupled with the increasing pervasiveness of swarm intelligence and autonomous systems, this could enable coordinated EW and CyberOps actions scaled across a large number of devices and nodes. These combined capabilities will result in more robust, resilient, and adaptive defenses while also augmenting offensive capabilities through actions such as deception, persistent surveillance, and overwhelming attacks.

Future EW and CyberOps convergence could also involve the development of multiple domain Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) architectures that can seamlessly integrate sensing, processing, decision-making, and activation of capabilities. This multi-domain integration will likely include land, air, space, maritime, and cyberspace (plus EMS) domains creating a unified battlespace where EW capabilities are extended to these realms. This convergence might lead to novel tactics, techniques, and procedures that exploit the integration of these domains.

Quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize many aspects of modern computing. From the EW-and-CyberOps-convergence perspective, they could enable faster signal processing, advanced encryption/decryption algorithms, and enhanced vulnerability assessments.

Continued research into advanced materials could produce novel materials with tailored electromagnetic properties designed to enhance performance of EW systems thus enabling more effective deception, jamming, or electronic protection. In addition, future innovations in energy harvesting technologies might enable autonomous, self-sustaining nodes that can be deployed across large areas or in unattended environments.

As the convergence of EW and CyberOps continues to advance, it will become increasingly important to address legal, ethical, and normative challenges that are associated with these capabilities. By anticipating and preparing for these potential innovations and paradigm shifts, leaders, policymakers, and researchers can better navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of EW and CyberOps convergence ensuring that capabilities remain effective, responsible, and aligned to strategic objectives. This might involve new international agreements, domestic regulations, or organizational guidelines that strike the balance between military necessity and responsible utilization in the employment of converged EW and CyberOps technologies and capabilities.

Work with the SEI

In today’s landscape, it can often feel like “every business is a software business.” That sentiment applies to mission systems as well, and it continues to encroach on wireless communication and sensor systems. At the SEI, we possess deep expertise in software engineering, cybersecurity and CyberOps, and AI engineering as well as expertise in RF and sensor systems. Our overlap of experience and expertise within these areas allow us to focus on the software-defined aspects of radio and wireless communications, sensor, and autonomous systems, including developing agile, cutting-edge software implementations and libraries, understanding and optimizing AI tools for spectral superiority, and ensuring the resilience, robustness, and reliability of complex system of system with extensive cybersecurity design and implementation expertise. SEI researchers are working to improve RF propagation modeling efficiency through AI-enabled technologies, modernizing capability and performance through cognitive radio applications, and in-depth modeling and simulation of autonomous systems. We seek to apply AI engineering in autonomy, RF communications, cybersecurity and CyberOps, software development and engineering, and adversarial AI. We provide cybersecurity experience and expertise across DoW systems including comprehensive system understanding for development, implementation, and sustainment of DCO across enterprise and DCO of AI-enabled systems. At the SEI, we are always looking to work with organization leaders in EW and RF fields to collaborate on challenges and opportunities related to the integration and operationalization of EW and CyberOps converged systems.

To learn more about our work researching, testing, and evaluating topics on the convergence of EW and CyberOps in the realms of wireless communication and sensor systems, or to collaborate with us, please email [email protected].