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ELITE 2006
Dirk Jan de Ridder and Menso van Westrhenen report from Lechfeld, Southern Germany during the world's largest live electronic warfare exercise, ELITE 2006.
From 4 to 18 May the international electronic warfare exercise ELITE 2006 took place in South-German airspace. ELITE is annually held in June and is specifically designed to train units in the role of disabling ground based air defence. Due to the World Championship football being held in Germany in June, this year aircraft from 11 countries gathered a month earlier, in May, at several air bases for this exercise.
As aircraft and their weapon systems advance, so do aircraft tracking stations and radar equipment. Entering enemy airspace without assistance is as dangerous as ever. The purpose of electronic warfare is to degrade enemy air defenses so that the chances of survival for following waves of strike aircraft increase.
Two missiles regularly used to get rid of enemy defence systems are the AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti Radiation Missile) and the British ALARM (Air Launched Anti Radiation Missile). It may seem a good choice to blow these defence units to bits with a loud bang and a fire, but nowadays discretion is key to conflict. Preventing radar stations and surface-to-air missile batteries from working without their knowledge is invaluable.
Transmitting signals of interference corrupt sensitive electronic devices and they may malfunction providing incorrect data or cease providing information. This tactic is nicknamed 'jamming' and is often used in the first days of a conflict. It is a role that used to be performed by specific aircraft like EA-6B Prowlers, which didn't take part in ELITE 2006. Nowadays fighter aircraft have to be able to perform multiple roles, so every aircraft fitted with an AN/ALQ-184 Electronic Counter Measure pod can perform a jamming mission.
ELITE, which stands for Electronical Warfare Live Training Exercise, has been held in the Bayern area since 1991. The first edition of the exercise was organized by Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (JBG 32, fighter bomber wing) from Lechfeld as a preparation for their deployment to Red Flag in the United States. JBG 32 is the wing of the German Air Force operating the electronic warfare version of the Tornado, the Tornado ECR. A year later also JBG 34 started participating and more and more units of German and international armed forces became interested in participating. Since 1995 ELITE has grown out to a very popular international exercise, worldwide it is the only electronic warfare exercise of its kind.
Still Lechfeld is the main base for the exercise. The aim of ELITE is to develop and test new tactics under realistic threats. To make it as realistic as possible helicopters, transport aircraft and fighter aircraft from 11 countries were based at airbases in southern Germany. Anti aircraft artillery units from several NATO countries were stationed in the Heuberg training area, acting as a counter threat. In total 23 nations participated in ELITE 2006, some of them only as observers but most with various weapon systems or aircraft. The main part of the fighter aircraft operated from Lechfeld including Turkish F-4's, Greek F-16's and Polish Su-22's. F-18 Hornets from Switzerland and Finland gathered at Manching, as well as some civil operated Learjets and Falcon 20s used for electronic warfare training. Transport aircraft were based at Landsberg and all helicopters flew their missions from Laupheim.
ELITE is as real as it gets. Hostile threat will not decrease and the fact that this is worldwide the only electronic warfare exercise of its kind will surely guarantee its existence well into the future.
The authors would like to thank the Jagdbombergeschwader 32 of the German Air Force for their hospitality. Articles and photos published on this website are copyright protected. All rights reserved.
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