§500g Integration of electronic warfare into Tier 1 and Tier 2 joint training exercises

Summary

From fiscal year 2026 through 2030, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff must make sure offensive and defensive electronic warfare is used in Tier 1 and Tier 2 joint training exercises. Opposing forces in those exercises must be built from an up-to-date intelligence picture of an adversary’s electromagnetic forces and capabilities as of the exercise date. The Chairman can skip these requirements for an exercise if the exercise does not need an electronic warfare demo, does not face a meaningful electronic warfare threat, or if adding electronic warfare is too costly or not technically possible for the exercise’s goals. Each year when the President’s budget is sent to Congress for 2026–2030, the Chairman must brief the congressional defense committees on planned exercises in the budget and the results from the prior year. The briefing must say how much electronic warfare was used, evaluate the opposing force’s effect on participants (including joint lessons learned, high interest training issues, and training needs), and say whether and how electronic warfare was part of overall joint fires. Definitions: “electromagnetic order of battle” — see Joint Publication 3–85 (May 2020); “high interest training issue,” “high interest training requirement,” “Tier 1,” and “Tier 2” — see CJCSM 3500.03E (April 20, 2015); “joint fires” — see Joint Staff paper (July 2018).