The US Army has selected Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to develop concepts for its new electronic warfare (EW) platform called the Terrestrial Layer System – Echelons Above Brigade (TLS-EAB).
The companies will share a $15-million contract for the first phase of the TLS-EAB program. The two American defense firms will engage in a competitive developmental process.
In the next 11 months, they will develop system designs, conduct a critical review, and a software architecture demonstration.
The platform must support signals intelligence, EW, and cyber functions in synchronization.
When the initial phase is complete, the vendors will proceed to prototype construction, testing, and integration.
The total value of the five phases of the program will be around $163 million.
The TLS-EAB Program
Launched in 2020, the US Army’s TLS-EAB program was initiated to replace the Stryker-mounted EW system and support its “long-neglected” EW personnel.
The new EW system is expected to be bigger and more powerful than its predecessor since it will be mounted on trucks.
The truck-mounted system will include sensors, transmitters, and a tethered drone to detect enemy signals, triangulate locations, and disrupt them through jamming, hacking, and spoofing.
The vehicle will be crewed by eight soldiers, four specializing in cyber/electronic warfare and four in signals intelligence.
Improving Situational Awareness
According to US Army EW/Cyber project manager Ken Strayer, the TLS-EAB will be an extended-range, electromagnetic attack system designed to improve troops’ situational awareness.
It will also support the “delivery of lethal and nonlethal effects in a holistic, synchronized manner for large-scale combat operations.”
“Soldiers at all levels will have the ability to support multi-domain operations with EW situational awareness,” Strayer explained.
