AN/SLQ-32

AN/SLQ-32
Name	AN/SLQ-32
Caption	Shipboard electronic warfare system
Country	United States
Manufacturer	Raytheon
Introduced	1970s
Type	Electronic warfare / electronic support measures

AN/SLQ-32

The AN/SLQ-32 is a shipboard electronic warfare suite developed for detection, identification, and counteraction of radar-guided threats to surface combatants, integrating signal search, electronic support, and electronic attack functions. Introduced during the Cold War and fielded across classes such as Arleigh Burke, Ticonderoga, and Oliver Hazard Perry, the system evolved through iterative upgrades to confront emerging threats from platforms and states including Soviet designs and later systems deployed by China. It influenced doctrines at institutions like the United States Navy and interoperability with allies such as Royal Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Overview

The program originated to provide surface ships with electronic support measures similar to airborne suites used by platforms like the EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler, with procurement managed under offices like the NAVSEA and programs overseen by contractors including Raytheon and predecessor firms. Early versions responded to threats demonstrated in engagements such as the Yom Kippur War and tactical lessons from operations around Mediterranean Sea and Gulf of Sidra. Adoption by fleets including the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy reflected multinational interest in shipboard electronic warfare interoperability.

Design and Components

The architecture combines antennas, receivers, signal processors, operator consoles, and electronic countermeasure transmitters, integrating components that trace lineage to radar signal processing advances from research at institutions like MIT's Lincoln Laboratory and industrial developments at Bell Labs. Antenna arrays and broadband receivers enable detection across bands used by radars on platforms such as Kirov and Sovremenny. Central processor units leverage digital signal processing techniques developed following projects at SRI International and commercial vendors. Consoles in combat information centers interface with combat systems like Aegis Combat System and sensors such as the AN/SPY-1 radar, allowing integration with command authorities including task groups led by flagships like USS Mount Whitney.

Variants and Upgrades

The family progressed from early passive detection suites to active electronic attack-capable configurations. Notable iterations include baseline configurations installed on Cold War-era vessels, the upgraded fits integrated into Arleigh Burke Flight I/II/IIA ships, and later modules addressing anti-ship missile threats developed amid requirements driven by analyses from ONR and testing at ranges like Pacific Missile Range Facility. Maintenance and mid-life upgrades were coordinated with shipyards such as Bath Iron Works and Ingalls, while modernization programs took account of signals intelligence findings from commands like Naval Intelligence and allied exchanges with NATO partners.

Operational History

Operational deployments spanned peacetime patrols, crisis responses, and combat operations across areas like the Persian Gulf, Black Sea, and South China Sea. Crews employed the system during incidents involving aircraft and missile encounters, coordinating with air defense assets including THAAD in layered defensive concepts and with carrier strike group commanders aboard Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford. Exercises such as RIMPAC and Operation Desert Storm provided venues for validation and tactic development, while after-action assessments informed upgrades addressing evolving emitted threat sets from nations including Iran and North Korea.

Tactical Employment and Capabilities

Tactically, the suite supports detection, direction finding, emitter classification, and the generation of deceptive or jamming waveforms used to protect units from anti-ship cruise missiles and targeting radars fielded by adversaries like Exocet-equipped forces and those employing systems from Almaz-Antey or Rosoboronexport. Integration with combat systems enables automated cueing to point defenses such as the Phalanx CIWS and missile systems like ESSM. Crew procedures developed in conjunction with doctrine centers such as Naval Doctrine Command and wartime doctrine adaptations from the United States Fleet Forces Command govern emission control, threat prioritization, and coordination with embarked electronic attack aircraft like EA-18G Growler.

Countermeasures and Counter-Countermeasures

Adversaries adopted counter-countermeasures including low-observable seeker heads, frequency agility, home-on-jam guidance, and salvo tactics seen in studies by entities such as RAND Corporation and collected by DIA. Responses included enhancements in signal processing, waveform agility, pulse compression, and integration of expendable decoys like the Nulka active missile decoy and passive systems such as chaff launched from rigs similar to those supplied by Northrop Grumman. Collaborative research with academic partners at Naval Postgraduate School and testing at facilities like White Sands Missile Range advanced resilience against anti-radiation homing and sophisticated guidance techniques.

Category:Naval electronic warfare systems