ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The evolution of missions continues at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, with the activations of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, Detachment 1 and 87th Electronic Warfare Squadron, Detachment 1. It happened Oct. 25, inside the Century of Flight building at the Museum of Aviation.
Lt. Col. C. Ryan Cox assumed command of both detachments, which are geographically separated from the wing located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
“Robins is a good fit for these two new detachments, because the installation has a number of organizations already conducting electronic warfare sustainment, procurement and modernization,” Cox said. “Plus, there are several industry partners in Georgia who have expertise in the electromagnetic spectrum field, which together will help us become more lethal and effective. It was very fortuitous those organizations are at the same place we are now.”
According to Air Combat Command, in 2021, the Air Force recognized an operational need to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum and the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing was created. It was the first of its kind to enable, equip, and optimize fielding capabilities to give the U.S. and its allies a sustainable, competitive advantage over adversaries in the electromagnetic spectrum.
The 350th SWW is responsible for providing operational, technical and maintenance electronic warfare expertise for the combat air forces, or CAF, and for systems engineering, testing, evaluation, tactics development, employment, capability and technology assessment. This includes the wartime responsibility for emergency reprogramming and dissemination of electronic warfare system mission data software for aircraft.
The wing manages the Air Force’s Combat Shield Electronic Warfare Assessment Program for combat air forces aircraft electronic warfare systems. Combat Shield provides operational units with a system-specific capability assessment for their radar warning receivers, electronic attack pods and integrated electronic warfare systems.
“Robins will be the heart of the Air Force’s center for the electronic warfare assessment, readiness and capability, said Col. Josh Koslov, 350th SWW commander. “Our team here will identify what our weak points are and point us in the direction we need to be in to improve our capability and fill in gaps to achieve spectrum dominance.
"We want to increase the lethality of all our warfighters," Koslov continued. “The best way to avoid war is being able to overmatch our opponents with so much capability they do not want to try to attack us.”
The electromagnetic spectrum is an invisible battlespace centered around frequencies that can support radios, navigation, weapons and mobile phone networks. By utilizing the spectrum, it can assist in DoD operations in the areas of cyberspace, space, land, air and sea.
Eventually, these detachments will be a part of four squadrons to create the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group headquartered at Robins AFB.
"The effectiveness and lethality of our warfighters depends directly on the assessment of our aircraft' electromagnetic warfare combat systems and the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group will allow for an expansion on that mission,” said Koslov. “If we don’t get it right, we’re going to lose and lose quickly.”
Establishing the 950th SWG will expand the Air Force’s capacity to assess more platforms electromagnetic warfare systems, effectively bridging gaps experienced by warfighters.
The 950th SWG is projected to assess every aircraft in the CAF inventory, leading the way for assessing EW defensive systems, and ensuring the operability and survivability of detection, warning and countermeasures against adversarial threats in the electromagnetic spectrum.
According to Cox, investment in key air and space power capabilities is critical to national security. The effectiveness and lethality of warfighters depends directly on the assessment of aircrafts’ electromagnetic warfare combat systems.
“To accomplish our mission, we will need talent with expertise in a variety of skill sets," said Cox. "From the military and civilian sectors, there will be a need for engineers, electronic warfare officers, programmers, intelligence professionals, tacticians and weapons school graduates. These experts are going to build the tools required to assess our strengths and weaknesses within the electromagnetic spectrum.”
950th SWG is expected to become a group by the summer 2024 and grow its three new squadrons simultaneously through fiscal year 2027.
The 950th SWG will join other new missions at Robins to include an E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communication Node squadron, a battle management command and control squadron and the Advanced Battle Management System Family of Systems.