SEAD and DEAD terms

28 terms

AOR/JOA-wide suppression

SEAD conducted against specific enemy air defence systems throughout the area of responsibility or joint operations area, to degrade or destroy their major capabilities. It targets the high-payoff assets whose loss degrades the whole system most, and is normally a major effort against the whole IADS; destroying key command and control nodes usually has the most disruptive effect.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. IV-13

Barrage jamming

Noise jamming spread over a frequency band much wider than one radar's, often an amplitude-modulated signal covering about 10 percent of the centre frequency. It can cover every radar in that band, but spreads the jammer's power thinner than spot jamming.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.6

Burnthrough

The range at which the radar echo from a target becomes equal to or greater than the jamming signal, so the target can be seen through the jamming. It happens to every jammed radar at some range, because the echo travels out and back while the jamming travels only one way.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.4

DEAD

Destruction of enemy air defenses. In some contexts, the physical destruction of air defence targets, as opposed to SEAD sorties that discourage the enemy from using air defence radars for fear of losing them.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Joint doctrine does not define DEAD: it treats destruction as the destructive means of SEAD. [1] [3]

Source: [3] Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, lead

Deception jamming

Active electronic countermeasures that mimic the radar echo, so the radar responds as if it were seeing another aircraft or ship and measures a false range or bearing. Usually done with repeaters or transponders; it needs much less power than noise jamming.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.8

Destructive means

SEAD that seeks to destroy the target system or its operating personnel.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. IV-13

Disruptive means

SEAD that temporarily denies, degrades, deceives, delays or neutralizes enemy surface air defences. Active means include electronic attack, jamming, deception, chaff, flares, decoys and tactics such as avoidance; passive means include emission control, camouflage, warning receivers and stealth.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. IV-13

FEZ

Fighter engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with fighter aircraft.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. GL-11

Frequency agility

The ability of a single radar to change frequency to counter a spot jammer.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.6

HIMEZ

High-altitude missile engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with high-altitude surface-to-air missiles.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. GL-12

HOJ

Home-on-jam. A guidance submode of nearly all radio-frequency homing weapons, in which the weapon homes on the jamming signal itself.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.7

IADS

Integrated air defense system. An enemy's air defences tied together into one network. SEAD targets its command and control nodes, SAM sites, anti-aircraft artillery, early-warning, fire-control and ground-controlled intercept radars, SAM carriers and storage, and its operators and maintainers.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. IV-12

JRFL

Joint restricted frequency list. The list of friendly frequencies that should not be disrupted, because of friendly use or exploitation. It is updated constantly; during intense SEAD operations friendly forces have been attacked because their emitters were not recognized as friendly.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. III-24

Localized suppression

SEAD confined to the areas of specific targets or transit routes for a specific time. SEAD aircraft normally escort other aircraft to protect them from surface air defences in that sector. It may be planned or immediate.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, IV-13 to IV-14

LOMEZ

Low-altitude missile engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with low- to medium-altitude surface-to-air missiles.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. GL-14

MEZ

Missile engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with surface-to-air missile systems. It can include one or more HIMEZs, LOMEZs and SHORADEZs.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, pp. V-11, GL-14

Noise jamming

Saturating a radar receiver with a continuous random signal so the echo is hidden. It needs a large average power, and the radar operator sees a strobe at the jammer's bearing: the jammer hides its range but shows its direction and presence.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.5

Opportune suppression

Unplanned SEAD, including aircrew self-defense and attacks on surface air defence targets of opportunity. Any movement by air defence systems from targeted locations turns localized suppression into opportune suppression.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. IV-14

Radar horizon

The distance beyond which the earth's curve hides a low target from a radar. Allowing for normal refraction, it is calculated with an effective earth radius 4/3 of the real one; a radar at 1 mile altitude has a horizon of about 102 miles, and one on a 75 ft mast about 12.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [4] Radar horizon, Definition

SFJ

Stand-forward jammer. A jammer placed between the enemy sensors and the attacking aircraft. It uses its power most efficiently, but is a prime target, well within reach of home-on-jam and anti-radiation weapons.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.7

SHORADEZ

Short-range air defense engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with short-range air defense weapons. It may be established within a low- or high-altitude missile engagement zone.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [1] JP 3-01, p. GL-16

SOJ

Stand-off jammer. A jamming aircraft that stays just outside the range of the enemy's weapons, screening the attackers that penetrate. It is safe from home-on-jam weapons, but the attackers reach burnthrough sooner than with a self-screening jammer.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.7

Spot jamming

Noise jamming with all the jammer's power in a narrow band, ideally matched to one radar's frequency. It is aimed at a specific radar and needs a receiver to find that radar's frequency.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.6

SSJ

Self-screening jammer. A jammer carried by an aircraft for its own protection. Jammer, target and victim radar are always in line, but the jammer takes weight and space from sensors, weapons and fuel.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.7

Sweep jamming

Noise jamming with a frequency-modulated signal swept back and forth over a very wide band, covering many radars at once.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.2.6

Terrain masking

Using terrain to block the line of sight between a radar and an aircraft, so the radar cannot detect it. Aircraft may use terrain or radar horizon shielding, and the reduced radar performance against low-elevation targets, to evade detection.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [2] Fundamentals of Naval Weapons Systems, p. 11.2.3.4

WEZ

Weapon engagement zone. In air defense, airspace of defined dimensions within which the responsibility for engagement of air threats normally rests with a particular weapon system.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Joint doctrine defines it for friendly air defence planning. Sim manuals and tactics discussions use the same words for the airspace an enemy system can engage. [1]

Source: [1] JP 3-01, pp. V-10, GL-18

Wild Weasel

The US Air Force name for aircraft tasked with SEAD missions using anti-radiation missiles, from the F-100F of the Vietnam War to the F-4G; the name is also used for SEAD operations generally, which the US first called Iron Hand.

Aircrew of every service who suppress, avoid or destroy surface air defences, and those they protect

Source: [3] Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses, lead, Wild Weasel