Electronic warfare has become the opening move – and often the deciding one – in today’s contested battlespace.
Read our top four takeaways from our conversation with Mission Delta 3 Deputy Commander Colonel Eddie Gutierrez, or listen to the full episode.
Takeaway 1: EW is a core requirement across today’s contested environment.
As electronic warfare (EW) becomes central to every stage of modern operations, Mission Delta 3 is focused on meeting joint-force demands wherever they emerge, Col. Gutierrez said.
“The whole spectrum of EW demands attention,” Gutierrez said. The joint force as a lot of needs that must be met for every stage of operations – from phase zero to conflict, Gutierrez said.
“We had Midnight Hammer and Absolute Resolve where our EW forces played a critical role in our ability for the joint force to execute those operations. And so we don’t go to the fight without EW. When you start in any conflict – even in the competition phase – electronic warfare is playing a key role,” he said.
Takeaway 2: Deterrence and preparation are key for keeping up with adversaries.
With global competitors advancing their capabilities, Mission Delta 3 is centering its efforts on readiness for high-end conflict, Gutierrez said.
That focus includes preparing guardians for conflict, staying attuned to what potential adversaries are building and ensuring the force can respond if deterrence breaks down, he said.
“We’re preparing our guardians for a near-peer fight,” said Gutierrez. “We always look at our competitor and what we want to do is be ready for that when that happens. Our first thing is deterrence … and we want to make sure that our weapon systems and our guardians both hand in hand are ready for that engagement.”
“We don’t ever want war, but if war is called upon us, we have to be ready for it,” he said.
Takeaway 3: Cooperation and synchronicity enable faster timelines.
Effective, timely EW depends on more than just a shared vision – it requires operations, acquisitions and industry working in sync, Gutierrez said.
“I think what we have to work better both from, and I’ll say it’s three legs here: It’s the operational side, it’s the acquisition side, and it’s the industry side. And if all three of those are humming at the same cadence, they all understand the same needs and we’re all working towards the same goal, we’ll continually win,” he said.
When those three groups understand the same needs, move at the same pace and treat the relationship as a partnership rather than a transaction, capability gets delivered faster, he said. This kind of alignment enabled rapid efforts like delivering a remote-capable Bounty Hunter system in six months and accelerating the Meadowlands fielding timeline by a year, Gutierrez noted.
“We don’t have time to wait. We’re trying to turn on capability in six months or less, not years,” Gutierrez said. “And so changing that mentality within our acquirers and also changing the mentality in our operators to understand that they have this ability within their own organization over the last two years, we’ve really moved the ball forward.”
Takeaway 4: Stagnation risks losing the spectrum fight.
Mission Delta 3 is built on constant evolution, said Gutierrez. “If you stay stagnant in our mission area, we won’t win.” The team is focused on covering the full electromagnetic spectrum, supported by embedded intel providing real-time awareness. The goal isn’t just to expand the mission set, but to improve weapon systems and sharpen operators for contested environments, Gutierrez said. The emphasis is on creating operators who can act on commander’s intent even when things fall apart, maintain mission command and stay capable of defeating adversaries, he said.
“We will not go to war, in my opinion, without EW. And those who own the spectrum will own their abilities to provide long range fires, communicate across the force and provide that intelligence that is required in order for us to engage our adversaries,” he said.
For more, listen to the full episode.
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Resilience Under Pressure: Design, Deterrence and Future Force Planning in U.S. Military Space
Electronic Warfare Resilience: Defending the New Front Line
