Electronic countermeasures

History

The first example of electronic countermeasures applied in combat occurred during the Russo-Japanese War. On July 13, 1904, Russian wireless telegraphy stations installed in the Port Arthur fortress and on board Russian light cruisers successfully interrupted wireless communication between Japanese battleships. The spark-gap transmitters in the Russian stations generated senseless noise while the Japanese were making attempts to coordinate their efforts in the bombing of a Russian naval base. During World War I, Germany and the United Kingdom interfered with enemy communications along the western front, while the Royal Navy tried to intercept German naval radio transmissions. There were also efforts to send false radio signals, such as having shore stations send transmissions using ships' call signs and jamming enemy radio signals. On the other hand, there were also attempts by the Ottoman side to jam Allied wireless communications during the Gallipoli campaign.