Fischer, StratCom tout $9M boost to electronic warfare project at Offutt

Republican U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer praised the launch of the project, which the Pentagon calls Ethereal Forge. The senior senator from Nebraska chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee for the Senate Armed Services Committee.

She pointed to Congress directing roughly $9 million during fiscal year 2026 for the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center, or JEC, to test and evaluate electromagnetic warfare technologies.

“Modern warfare is constantly evolving, and ... Ethereal Forge will streamline how our military leaders utilize spectrum and help us keep a strong warfighting advantage over our adversaries,” Fischer said in a statement.

Electronic warfare uses radio waves, microwaves and infrared to detect enemy positions, transmit false signals and protect communications from enemy electronic attacks.

Jason Temple, a Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center technical director, said that Ethereal Forge will test not yet fielded technologies from government labs, academia and industry against realistic threats. 

"The key purpose is to shorten the timeline for getting cutting-edge electromagnetic warfare tools into the hands of military operators, moving from legacy acquisition timelines to a faster, more relevant pace," he said.

The initiative was launched by U.S. Strategic Command's JEC on June 25 and also aims to help quickly upgrade the affordability of systems by using parts from different manufacturers with “plug-and-play” designs.

“The electromagnetic spectrum is critical maneuver space, not a warfighting domain," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. AnnMarie Anthony. "It is the connective tissue that binds together every other domain.” 

Ethereal Forge, Anthony said, creates a structured, funded mechanism to try out "innovative solutions to complex EMS challenges and provide acquisition decision-makers with the operationally informed data that they need" to act.

In a statement from StratCom, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Duc Bui said the American military's existing electromagnetic warfare platforms are aging, increasing risks to the U.S. and its allies.

Bui called the program a "paradigm shift" that is "denying the adversary while simultaneously providing our force access to the (electromagnetic spectrum).”