Michael Fabey Washington

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are expected to outspend each of their sister services roughly two-to-one on electronic warfare (EW) programs during the next decade.

In a 10-year period from fiscal 2008-17, the Navy and Marines have spent or are set to spend a cumulative total of about $21.9 billion, based on analysis and data provided by Avascent 050, an online market analysis toolkit for global defense programs.

Combined, all of the services will have spent or are slated to spend a cumulative total of about $44.2 billion during that time, the analysis shows.

The U.S. Air Force will have spent or is budgeted to spend a total of $12.3 billion in that time frame, while the Army's total is expected to be about $9.1 billion, the analysis shows.

Joint Pentagon-wide programs are expected to total about $829.3 million, according to the analysis.

“For the last 30 years, the Air Force has emphasized stealth in its aircraft modernization plans while the Navy has stressed electronic attack,” says Loren Thompson, defense analyst for the Lexington Institute. “The Air Force hasn't paid much attention to jamming and the Navy hasn't paid much attention to low-observables.”

While that likely will change as the Navy acquires a carrier-based version of the stealthy F-35 fighter aircraft, Thompson says, “The Navy is the main repository of electronic warfare expertise in the joint force, and that inclines it to assign less importance to low-observables.” For aircraft launched from carriers or other vessels, jamming and EW are often more valuable and effective than stealthiness.