Since August 2025, the US has amassed a sizable military presence in the Caribbean, ostensibly to combat illicit drug trafficking. Naval forces have been mobilised across the region, including the deployment of the world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, as part of a carrier strike group (CSG). In addition, the US has carried out a series of airstrikes against small-vessel targets. The greatest concentration of these kinetic actions has occurred off Venezuela’s coast, just outside its maritime boundary and airspace (more than 12 miles offshore). While the buildup has raised questions about the Trump administration’s intentions toward the region—Venezuela in particular—and prompted debate over the legality of these lethal strikes, the evolving situation has also underscored the continued centrality of electronic warfare (EW) in modern military operations.
EW, also known as electromagnetic warfare, is defined by the US Department of Defense as capabilities that use electromagnetic energy to control the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) or to produce effects on an adversary’s capabilities within it. The EMS, or “the spectrum,” refers to electromagnetic radiation commonly grouped into seven bands based on frequency and wavelength: radio, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. In recent months, imagery from Nasa’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) indicates that airspace over the Caribbean and near Venezuela has seen a marked increase in electronic interference. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported global navigation satellite system (GNSS) disruption and issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs). Although the source of this activity remains unclear, both the United States and Venezuela are operating substantial EW assets in the area.
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The deployment of the Gerald R Ford CSG brings a broad suite of EW capabilities into play. The carrier operates the Raytheon (RTX) AN/SLQ-32B(V)6 EW package. This system incorporates the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2 upgrade, produced and integrated by Lockheed Martin, which, according to the US Navy, strengthens electronic support (ES) and improves EW threat detection. The Ford also supports fixed-wing EW platforms, including EA-18G Growlers for Electronic Attack (EA) and jamming, as well as E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes for airborne early warning (AEW). Together, these defensive and offensive capabilities enhance US Navy survivability in an increasingly contested EMS while also improving the CSG’s ability to deliver devastating strikes by degrading adversary communications and air defences in the event of a direct confrontation with Venezuela.
Venezuela is militarily outmatched by the US in the region when considering the range and scale of each side’s conventional firepower. Having focused on developing its Army, Venezuela has only one Mariscal Sucre-class frigate and a single Type-209 submarine to contend with a US CSG. Although unable to counter US naval power directly, Venezuela has invested in EW, and its systems may be contributing to recent spectrum interference in and around its airspace. Venezuela’s EW inventory is largely imported rather than domestically produced. Its EA capabilities are delivered by platforms such as Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 Flanker multirole fighters that can provide active jamming. Complementing these aircraft, Venezuela has acquired Chinese ground-based radars and sensors, such as the JYL-1 3D radar, which bolsters ES. With Russia widely regarded as a leading innovator in EW technology and China also developing advanced EW platforms, Venezuela’s partnerships—and the resulting acquisitions—have enabled a layered EW architecture that could help offset the imbalance in conventional capabilities relative to the US.
As speculation grows over whether the situation could escalate into open conflict, US-Venezuelan tensions further highlight the value of a diversified force that can deliver versatile EW effects—both for defensive resilience and offensive spectrum denial. The recent interference over Caribbean airspace is only the latest reminder of the need for EW robustness in modern warfare. In the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) Fujian aircraft carrier, which uses an electromagnetic launch system (EMALS), can deploy a range of aircraft, including the PLAN’s new AEW platform, while an EW variant of the J-15D is also in development. Similarly, following the Pahalgam massacre in April 2025, the Kashmir skirmish saw both India and Pakistan employ EW, with systems such as Samyukta and Himshakti reportedly used during Operation Sindoor. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine remains an unparalleled testbed for EW innovation; 2025 has seen the rapid spread of countermeasures and workarounds, including fibre-optic first-person-view (FPV) drones, developed in direct response to EW constraints. As demand for EW systems rises across multiple theatres, and with the global EW market forecast to reach nearly $26bn by 2034, strategic positioning within the sector will be increasingly important for both defence primes and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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By GlobalData