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10 Jan 25. South Korea launches new army MANET development. South Korean defence prime LIG Nex1 announced that it has signed an agreement worth around US$10.5m with the government-funded Defense Rapid Acquisition Technology Research Institute (DRATRI) to demonstrate new mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technologies for the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA).
LIG Nex1 added that the next-generation MANET development will include three types of communication equipment for up to brigade-level formations. The first type will be installed into surveillance and reconnaissance drones, the second type will be portable and can be carried by troops, while the third will be installed into combat vehicles. All variants will be capable of supporting uncrewed system operations.
The demonstration project is expected to be completed by 2027 with the first MANET system prototype delivered to the RoKA after six months of field trials.
“As the advancement and sophistication of weapon systems based on hyper-connectivity, hyper-intelligence, and networking rapidly progress, the swift development of next-generation communication solutions to support this has emerged as a national task,” said LIG Nex1, noting that the MANET development is expected to be integrated to ongoing RoKA modernisation efforts such as the Warrior Platform soldier system under the Army 4.0 programme.
To offset the expected reduction in manpower, the RoKA in 2018 launched its Army Tiger 4.0 programme wherein each soldier receives a ‘Warrior Platform’ comprising 33 types of personal equipment, including new communications systems, field uniforms, multi-hit ballistic vests and helmets, and sights. With each soldier effectively transformed into a sensor node, the army envisions that Tiger 4.0 will eventually take the form of a hyperconnected and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven ground combat network.
The RoKA reportedly plans to expand the Tiger 4.0 System to four battalions by 2021, four brigades by 2025, and all units by 2040. It is estimated that the effort will cost around US$1bn.
(Source: AMR)
09 Jan 25. Don’t Cut Corners. “The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was launched by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to make Britain secure at home and strong abroad for decades to come” announced the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence’s website in July 2024. Mr. Starmer was a newly-minted prime minister, having led the Labour Party to victory in the UK’s General Election on 4th July.
Little time was waisted by Mr. Starmer and his colleagues initiating the drafting of a new SDR. The SDR sets out the UK’s strategic priorities and the capabilities to be sustained, modernised and acquired to meet these. The review is being led by John Healey, the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence, and is expected to be published in 2025. A team of defence and foreign policy experts are reviewing the draft. The drafting process examines evidence submitted by scores of individuals from the UK defence and security community.
In late November, reports revealed that ageing amphibious assault ships, frigates, oilers, uninhabited aerial vehicles and helicopters would be retired from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Beyond this, the full scope of the SDR is yet to be known. Armada would make one modest request: It is imperative that the commitment to the British Army’s future Cornerstone and Poynting cyber and electromagnetic activities capabilities remains.
The army was originally to have received new Electronic Warfare (EW) kit to support the manoeuvre force in 2001. The Ministry of Defence contracted Lockheed Martin to provide a suite of backpack and vehicular EW systems under Project Soothsayer. Soothsayer was cancelled in 2009, not helped by $60 m cost overruns. The reconstituted army EW capability, in the form of Project Landseeker, was similarly cancelled, the ongoing requirement morphing into Cornerstone/Poynting announced in 2022 and 2023 respectively. British Army EW cadres have told your correspondent that the EW equipment they currently use is in dire need of replacement. Any further delays to the modernisation of the British Army’s EW posture would be a grave mistake. Like her NATO allies, the UK faces the return of near-peer competition and the possibility of high intensity air-land battle thanks to Russian revanchism. The upcoming SDR must guarantee that the commitment to Cornerstone/Poynting continues. (Source: Armada)
07 Jan 25. Advanced EW Capabilities Showcased at AOC Symposium. L3Harris demonstrated its Distributed Spectrum Collaboration and Operations (DiSCO™) system at the AOC International Symposium, showcasing real-time threat detection, data processing, and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. L3Harris has showcased its cutting-edge Distributed Spectrum Collaboration and Operations (DiSCO™) capability in live demonstrations at the Association of Old Crows (AOC) International Symposium in Washington, D.C.
DiSCO is a resilient, vendor-agnostic Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) architecture that connects multiple electronic warfare (EW) systems across a distributed network for real-time threat detection and response.
The architecture integrates with both existing and future systems without extensive retrofitting, delivering flexibility in a highly dynamic environment where adversaries continue to enhance their own EMSO capabilities.
During the AOC live demos, a Seasats Lightfish autonomous vessel equipped with the L3Harris compact EW payload collected radio frequency data streamed to the cloud for real-time processing and analysis.
The L3Harris graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on military hardware, demonstrated how DiSCO enables rapid reprogramming of EW systems in the field from continental United States locations to forward operating positions and cockpits. This is enabled via L3Harris artificial intelligence and machine learning tools that assist with analysis and decision making.
The AOC event follows the successful DiSCO demo at Valiant Shield 2024, the U.S. Indo Pacific Command’s biennial field training exercise. During this event, DiSCO? successfully shared real-time radio frequency signal data between Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and multiple EW payloads operating in Hawaii and in San Diego, California.
Jennifer Lewis, President, Airborne Combat Systems, L3Harris, commented, “DiSCO turns months of data analysis into minutes, enabling unprecedented speed and accuracy in detecting and acting on unknown signals. It’s the first step in laying the foundation for distributed electronic attack capabilities and enhanced sensor-to-shooter integration.” (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
09 Jan 25. Tricking-up the HARM. The US Air Force is expected to introduce the Northrop Grumman Stand-In Attack Weapon into service in 2026. The missile is based on the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radar Guided Missile-Extended Range anti-radar weapon developed by the company. The US Air Force’s new Stand-In Attack Missile is showing potential as a versatile weapon to hold time-sensitive targets at risk thanks to its employment of a millimetric radar seeker.
Northrop Grumman’s AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radar Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) appears to be a gift that keeps on giving. The weapon is forming the basis of the Stand-In Attack Weapon (SIAW) air-to-surface missile. The company won the contract to develop the SIAW for the United States Air Force (USAF) in September 2023. Reports note that the SIAW is expected to enter service with the USAF in 2026. Defence Express revealed in late November 2024 that the weapon was being earmarked as a potential strike capability against Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs). SRBMs typically have a maximum range not exceeding 540 nautical miles/nm (1,000 kilometres/km). One potential target mentioned in the Defence Express article is the 9K720 Iskander (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation reporting name SS-26 Stone) SRBM. The 9K720 has been used extensively in the Ukrainian theatre of operations and open sources state the missile has a range of up to 270nm (500km).
Millimetric Wave
A key capability of the AGM-88G is the Millimetric Wave (MMW) radar seeker accommodating the missile. MMW seekers also equip Northrop Grumman’s AGM-88E and Raytheon’s AGM-88F HARMs (High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles). Alongside the AGM-88G, these latter designs are the latest variant of the venerable AGM-88B/C HARM. HARM has been a scourge of ground-based air surveillance and fire control/ground-controlled interception radars since its introduction into USAF service in 1985.
The MMW radars transmit at frequencies above 30 gigahertz/GHz. These frequencies can depict targets in impressive detail. Tactically, this helps ensure the missile strikes the correct target. For example, the Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a hostile radar can be cross-referenced with an internal library of targets. The radar’s processor will match the RCS of the target with the internal library and perform the attack. Likewise, the missile can abort its attack if the RCS differs greatly. Sources close to the AGM-88E/G programmes have shared with Armada in the past that the MMW radar also aids battle damage assessment. Radar imagery can be sent by datalink from the missile to its launch platform. This imagery can be examined after the attack to ascertain the quality and effectiveness of the strike.
HARM and Iskander
Armada spoke to a senior radar engineer who confirmed that the MMW capability of the AGM-88E/F/G could offer kinetic options beyond hitting only radars. They mentioned that RCSs for targets like 9K720 launch vehicles could be stored in the missile’s radar seeker. As before, the missile’s radar could match this RCS with the imagery it is collecting for target confirmation before performing the attack.
The engineer said that loading the SIAW with RCSs of threats like the 9K720 could have added benefits. The missile could be launched in a loitering mode. With its radar activated, the SIAW could continually search for a target like an 9K720 launcher across a specific area in the radar’s field-of-view. Once such a target is discovered, the missile will press home its attack. A variant of this tactic would be to launch the missile into a pre-defined area where an Iskander launcher is, but perhaps where exact coordinates are unknown. The missile will search for the target in this area and attack the threat once discovered. The engineer continued that the missile’s blast fragmentation warhead could do significant damage to a 9K720 launcher and its missiles. A single attack could possibly take both out of the fight altogether. In fact, the radar seeker could be programmed with a myriad of time-sensitive targets on the ground.
Despite being originally developed to hit hostile radars the AGM-88E/F/G design is showing itself to have impressive tactical utility. It may not only be radar operators who fear HARMs in the air, and the damage that they can do. (Source: Armada)
08 Jan 25. Congress’ EMSO Champion. In an exclusive interview, Armada chats to Don Bacon, a tireless electronic warfare advocate who has recently been re-elected to the US House of Representatives.
On 3rd January Representatives and Senators for the United States’ 119th Congress will be sworn in following the Presidential and Congressional elections on 3rd November. Don Bacon will be taking his seat as Representative for Nebraska’s Second Congressional District. Mr. Bacon is not new to Congress having served as the representative for this district since 2016. He came to Congress from the US military having retired as a United States Air Force (USAF) Brigadier General. During his military career, Mr. Bacon was closely involved with Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO). He served at Offutt airbase. Offutt is home to the USAF’s Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint and RC-135U Combat Sent signals intelligence gathering aircraft.
Previous experience
Mr. Bacon shared with Armada his perspectives regarding the EMSO challenges faced by the US military and the country writ large: “As a career Electronic Warfare (EW) officer in the US Air Force, I entered Congress deeply concerned about the significant decline in the readiness of our electronic warfare capabilities.” Upon election, Mr. Bacon immediately got to work tackling this decline: “My journey to restore US EW dominance started back in 2017 when I was sworn in as a member of the 115th Congress and became a member of the House Armed Services Committee.” He reflected on his experience as a keen EW advocate within the US Department of Defence (DOD). His work backing electronic warfare in the Pentagon would prove useful in the corridors of power: “I remember being a one-star in the Pentagon between 2012 and 2014 and advocating for EW and being told at the three-star level that it was not a priority. It took getting into Congress to make a real impact.”
Budgetary realities
Unsurprisingly given his previous USAF career Mr. Bacon has taken a close interest in the US Air Force’s EW posture, and how this needs to develop: “Department of the Air Force (DAF) progress on modernising its electronic warfare capability continues to struggle with speed of progress and budget prioritisation,” he argued. “While we have had some success in keeping the USAF on task with the Gulfstream/L3 Harris EA-37B Compass Call (communications jamming aircraft) replacement programme, recent discussions with stakeholders indicate additional Congressional engagement with Air Force leadership would be helpful in building additional momentum within the Air Force to improve combat readiness and capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum.”
Call platform currently used for jamming hostile communications systems and networks.
Available funds for EW is concerning, particular when other priorities like the ongoing modernisation of the US nuclear deterrent is taken into account: “The real issue impacting electronic warfare now is that our top line budget is too small with all the other nuclear modernisation costs going on. We are spending three percent of our gross domestic product on defence, which is a historical low going back to before the Second World War.” Reflecting the spirit of bipartisanship which Mr. Bacon is known for, he emphasised his agreement with the recent comments of Frank Kendall, Secretary of the Air Force, “that progress requires resources and right now the resources just aren’t there.”
Acquisition efficiency
Ensuring that EW capabilities and readiness receive the prioritisation they deserve is not just about money. Mr. Bacon talked about the need to improve acquisition efficiency. To this end, he has “been asked to press the Department of the Air Force on modifying its acquisition management structure to ensure a clear demand signal and more direct pathways for faster development of new electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum capabilities.”
Beyond the questions of acquisition and budgets, Mr. Bacon is keen to wave the EW flag in Congress and highlight the importance of EMSO throughout the wider US political community: “As the CITI (Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation) subcommittee chair and the Electronic Warfare Caucus chair, along with my position on the Tactical Air and Land Force and Strategic Forces subcommittees, I will press the Air Force leadership to be more aggressive on improving Air Force EW/EMS modernisation and readiness. To that end, I already have hosted a member level CITI classified JEMSO (Joint EMSO) update briefing to share (the US Strategic Command’s) evaluation of current joint EMSO capabilities and highlighted a report on EA-37B force structure requirements from the Secretary of the Air Force at an in-person briefing last September.” Moreover, “I am interested in working with the Air Force leadership to ensure the DAF reorganisation ensures faster, more integrated acquisition of advanced EW/EMS capabilities.”
As the US embarks on her next political era with a new Congress and Executive, electromagnetic support operations will be firmly on the defence and national security agendas. Mr. Bacon and his colleagues will no doubt work hard to ensure that EMSO questions receive the attention they need. Pressure will continue on DOD procurement and management structures to ensure their suitability for EMSO acquisition and modernisation. (Source: Armada)
08 Jan 25. Verizon to enhance 5G and/or 4G LTE networks at 35 USAF bases. The upgrades are set to offer higher speeds, greater bandwidth, and reduced latency. The US Air Force (USAF) has chosen Verizon Business to implement 5G and 4G LTE network improvements across 35 installations within the nation.
This initiative is part of the Air Force’s Offer to Lease programme, which aims to provide advanced network capabilities such as additional C-Band carriers, new macro cell sites, and small cell technology.
These upgrades are set to offer higher speeds, greater bandwidth, and reduced latency for both base personnel and the local communities.
It supports the varied missions at each installation and improving the living standards for service members and their families.
The bases benefiting from this project are spread across an array of states including Alabama, Alaska, and many others, up to Washington.
Verizon Public Sector senior vice-president Maggie Hallbach said: “This is Verizon’s seventh OTL win out of eight attempts, which serves as a testament to the trust the US Air Force has in the strength and speed of our network, as well as the quality of the professional and managed services expertise they gain from our people.
“We are honoured to have Verizon Business serve as one of their most trusted partners.”
This development is a continuation of Verizon Business’s ongoing engagement with the Air Force, further expanding the company’s role in enhancing federal government and Department of Defense communications infrastructure.
The project, known as Opportunity to Lease 3, Groups A, B, and C, follows Verizon’s previous successes with OTL 1a, 1b, 2, and 2b in recent years.
This expansion allows Verizon to extend wireless advancements to over three dozen Air Force bases, adding to the 5G Ultra Wideband work previously completed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.
As a result of its participation in the OTL programme, Verizon is now responsible for delivering wireless network services to a total of 72 Air Force bases across the US. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
07 Jan 25. Russian Rules. A new volume published by the Lightning Press covers the organisation, doctrines and capabilities of the Russian military, and contains discussions of Russia’s strategic preoccupations and foreign policy objectives.
A new book shed more light on the organisation of the Russian military and how it sees the electromagnetic spectrum as a zone of competition.
Excitement always grips the Armada editorial office when a new book is published by the Lightning Press. We have reviewed several of these readable and robust volumes in the past. Subjects tackled by this publishing house include subjects as diverse as the militaries of the Democratic People’s Repubic of Korea (DPRK) and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Lightning Press’ author and publisher Norm Wade has penned volumes on the Chinese military, and he has been a guest on Armada’s podcasts.
In late November the company published its latest volume examining Russia’s armed forces. OpFor Smartbook-3: Russian Military Forces, Operations and Tactics comes at an opportune moment. The Russian military remains committed to its occupation of parts of Ukraine and continues to pressure Kyiv’s forces. Nonetheless, Moscow’s presence in Syria is in doubt. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has deployed forces to Syria since 2015. Russian forces there have aimed to shore-up the regime of Syria’s erstwhile dictator during that country’s long civil war. Syria hosts two large Russian military installation; a naval base at Tartus and a large deployment at Khmeimim airbase, both on the Mediterranean coast. Mr. Assad fled on 7th December following a dramatic advance across the country by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham Islamist movement. With the Assad regime now deposed the future of Russia’s presence in Syria remains unclear.
As with previous volumes examining national militaries, Mr. Wade gives a detailed yet succinct discussion of Russia’s strategic and operational considerations and preoccupations. A useful guide to the composition of the Russian armed forces, their operational art and tactical doctrines also forms part of the volume. Understandably, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine forms a significant part of the book, as does Russian military modernisation; a process which remains ongoing despite the conflict. Also of interest is Mr. Wade’s discussion of the role of private military companies like the Wagner Group in Russia’s military posture.
Russia and the spectrum
Of particular interest to Armada is the book’s discussion of Russia’s Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities. Frequent Armada readers will know that this is an area of great interest to us, and any new works that can shed light on these subjects are highly sought. Mr. Wade’s latest work contains a chapter examining ‘Radio-Electromagnetic Warfare’ and this title reflects the Russian term for EW.
The author reflects that Russia’s combat experience during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War was a catalyst for the revitalisation of Russia EW capabilities, particularly in the land environment. For Russian land forces, EW plays a key role in attacking the ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and Command and Control (C2) capabilities of their adversary. EW units and systems are integrated at every echelon in the land manoeuvre force. Not only are EW capabilities vital for conventional air-land battle, but they are also indispensable for supporting counter-insurgency operations.
Electronic warfare units comprise part of the Russian land forces’ Reconnaissance-Strike Complex (RSC), Mr. Wade continues. Hostile targets can be detected, identified and located by manoeuvre force electronic warfare systems, particularly those performing signals intelligence collection. Radars, radios and communications networks can be located via their electromagnetic emissions. The coordinates of these hostile assets are then shared with kinetic manoeuvre force elements like artillery, close air support or battlefield interdiction.
The book provides the reader with a good summary of Russian land forces’ EW unit orders-of-battle, particularly the interplay between operational-level EW brigades and their subordinate battalions. Mr. Wade makes the important point that EW brigade battalions can also be ‘fragged’ to the manoeuvre force. This process lets these operational EW capabilities directly support the tactical battle. Particularly useful is the author’s description of how EW capabilities furnish Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). As the war in Ukraine shows, UAVs equipped with EW payload can be particularly effective. Similarly welcome is the description of the spectrum management role played by platforms like Dziudoist, Plavsk and the RB-636 Svet-KU.
The RB-636 Svet-KU system is one of several which Russian ground forces use for electromagnetic spectrum management and deconfliction.
Mr. Wade’s latest work provides a detailed yet readable discussion of the centrality of electronic warfare in the operational and tactical doctrines of Russia’s land forces. The work also provides a good starting point for wider study of the Russian military. As the Lightning Press’ collection of works also explores the militaries of near-peer adversaries like the DPRK, Iran and the People’s Republic of China, the EW postures of these nations can be compared to those of Russia and vice-versa. (Source: Armada)
06 Jan 25. January Spectrum SitRep. The US Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft fleet will receive a comprehensive enhancement of its self-protection systems via the Advanced Electronic Warfare, or ADVEW, initiative.
Armada’s monthly round-up of all the latest electronic warfare news in the product, programme and operational domains.
ADVEW Delta Design Review
Raytheon announced via a press release on 4th December that the company had completed the Delta Design Review of the Advanced Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) system. As Armada reported in February 2024 ADVEW will equip the United States Navy’s Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft. The new EW system replaces two existing capabilities; L3Harris’ AN/ALQ-214 integrated countermeasures system and Raytheon’s AN/ALR-63(V)3 radar warning receiver. Raytheon has stated in the past that ADVEW consolidates the attributes of these two systems into a single architecture. Moreover, the company says ADVEW will deliver improvements in performance vis-à-vis these legacy systems. The press release explained that the Delta Design Review “assessed the (aircraft’s) weapons replaceable assemblies … and how each part of the hardware system works together to meet required specifications. The review confirmed that the system can provide critical electronic attack and electronic support measures capabilities.” The programme will now move towards US government laboratory testing “to validate open mission systems compliance and to demonstrate advanced system attributes,” the press release added. Raytheon told Armada in a written statement that this recent review “is an approach to provide critical design review level material overtime.” The Delta Design Review was performed in a company laboratory and “involved the review of airframe-conducted events.”
CIRCM for Chinooks
It was revealed in early December that Northrop Grumman has been selected to provide new self-protection systems to equip the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) fleet of Boeing Chinook HC. Mk.5/6/6A heavylift helicopters. Reports disclosed that the aircraft will receive Northrop Grumman’s Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM). CIRCM will help protect these helicopters against attack by heat-seeking, surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. The United Kingdom ordered the CIRCMs via the United States foreign military sale route in July 2024. The self-protection systems will equip new Chinooks that the RAF is receiving to replace Chinook HC.Mk.6A rotorcraft that are being withdrawn, having served since the 1980s. Northrop Grumman confirmed to Armada that CIRCM will be installed on ten of the new aircraft. The company added that installation and delivery is expected in 2027. Northrop Grumman declined to state whether installation work will take place in the UK or the United States.
(Source: Armada)
08 Jan 25. Global: Highly sophisticated plugin elevates information theft, financial risks from cyber criminals. On 6 January, the security company SlashNext reported that Russian cyber criminals are using a new, highly sophisticated WordPress plugin (‘PhishWP’) in an ongoing financially motivated campaign. PhishWP reportedly creates fake online e-commerce pages (mimicking the legitimate payment service ‘Stripe’) to trick unknowing users into disclosing sensitive payment card details. The plugin then sends stolen information to an actor-controlled account on the messaging platform Telegram. PhishWP also bypasses security mechanisms by requesting one-time passwords (OTPs) using a separate pop-up. Additionally, it can customise checkout pages in real time; this feature underscores the highly sophisticated and dynamic nature of this tool. We assess it is likely that the threat actors subsequently use the stolen data to conduct unauthorised transactions and/or sell the information on the dark web for illicit profit. As such, this elevates information theft and financial risks to global users in the short-to-medium term. (Source: Sibylline)
06 Jan 25. US Navy declares initial operational capability for the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band system. The U.S. Navy declared initial operational capability for the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system in December, bringing a quantum leap in capability over legacy systems with drastic increases in power, target flexibility and jamming technique for naval aviation operations worldwide.
“Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band improves our fleet’s warfighting advantage in the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Rear Adm. John Lemmon, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. “This system provides enhanced capabilities to deny, distract and disorient adversaries’ radars, protecting our naval aviators and allowing them to carry out their missions in contested airspace.”
The fleet got a preview of the jammer’s high-end capabilities during Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s five-month deployment this year. Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 133 deployed with the system aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), marking the first time Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band was used both deployed and in combat.
IOC signals that the design, testing and production of this capability meet the logistical needs of the carrier air wings and EA-18G Growler squadrons.
“What an incredible day for the U.S. Navy, our Australian partners, and the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) community,” said Capt. David Rueter, Airborne Electronic Attack Systems (PMA-234) program manager. “The achievement of NGJ-MB IOC is a positive reflection on the hard work, innovation and resilience from a dedicated team of government and industry professionals who have developed and fielded this critical capability to the warfighters.”
The NGJ-MB system, developed by Raytheon, an RTX business, is part of a larger NGJ system that will augment and ultimately replace the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System currently used on the EA-18G Growler. NGJ-MB uses the latest digital, software-based and electronically scanned array technologies and provides enhanced AEA capabilities to disrupt, deny, and degrade enemy air defense and ground communication systems.
“NGJ-MB will boost our fleet’s ability to maintain spectrum dominance. Yielding new capabilities is critical for addressing current and future threats. The era of isolated surface-to-air missile systems, which operate within a non-agile and limited frequency range, is behind us.” stated Lt. Cmdr. Michael Bedwell, EA-18G Naval Flight Officer and NGJ-MB Deputy Integrated Product Team Lead.
PMA-234 is responsible for acquiring, delivering and sustaining AEA systems, providing combatant commanders with capabilities that enable mission success. (Source: ASD Network)
07 Jan 25. Taiwan: Spike in cyber attacks underscores elevated risks stemming from Chinese threat actors. On 6 January, international news outlets reported that the number of attempted cyber attacks conducted against Taiwan doubled in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching a total of approximately 2.4 m attempts per day. The majority of attempts originated from China, likely as part of Beijing’s ‘grey-zone’ tactics aimed at undermining Taiwan’s government. Threat actors typically try to exfiltrate sensitive data such as intellectual property and personally identifiable information (PII) in a bid to destabilise Taiwanese industry. Additionally, various attacks disrupted operations within critical national infrastructure (CNI) sectors via distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns. Attacks often spiked and/or coincided with military drills around the island, pointing to Beijing’s increased adoption of cyber activity to bolster its military and security posture. Although most attacks were detected and blocked, we assess the reports are indicative of a more comprehensive Chinese cyber strategy vis-à-vis Taiwan. As such, Taiwan faces long-term security, espionage and operational risks. (Source: Sibylline)
06 Jan 25. Russia: New mobile malware variant raises security, financial risks for Android users. On 4 January, international news outlets reported that unnamed threat actors are using a new mobile malware variant (‘FireScam’) to target Android users in an information theft campaign. FireScam is distributed via phishing websites advertising a fraudulent premium version of the mobile messaging application Telegram. The phishing websites mimic the Russian version of the App Store and Google Play Store, indicating that the intended victims are likely Russian-language speakers and/or based in Russia. FireScam can steal sensitive information, monitor transactions and execute additional payloads. The malware also boasts advanced obfuscation techniques, underscoring the threat actors’ sophistication. We assess that threat actors will likely either sell the stolen data on the dark web or exploit it to hijack user accounts for financial profit. As such, this increases the threat of future cyber criminal exploitation, elevating security and financial risks to Russian-speaking Android users in the short term. (Source: Sibylline)
03 Jan 25. Global: New cyber attack method underscores increased security, financial risks facing web users. On 2 January, international news outlets reported on a new type of cyber attack (‘DoubleClickjacking’) targeting global web users. The attack starts with the perpetrators displaying threat actor-created prompts on legitimate websites to lure users into clicking a link. This then redirects users to a new web page, whereupon they are asked to complete a captcha verification (the process whereby users are asked to confirm that they are human operators). The new technique manipulates the timing difference between mouse-clicking actions on the webpage; when a user lands on the webpage and double clicks on the captcha button, the page content changes very quickly (so quickly that the user does not notice). When the user clicks for the second time (as part of the double click), they unintentionally click on a malicious button. Threat actors are then able to conduct malicious activity such as hijacking user accounts, authenticating additional applications and facilitating financial transactions. Notably, the new technique employs methods to bypass traditional webpage clickjacking security mechanisms, highlighting the continued development of threat actors’ sophistication. It also underscores the elevated security and financial risks facing global users in the short-to-medium term, particularly as the attack technique can impact any website. (Source: Sibylline)
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Spectra Group (UK) Ltd
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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