Marines' reaper drones get an electronic warfare boost to evade detection

A photo of the MQ-9A Reaper drone belonging to the Marines, equipped with the exciting RDESS electronic warfare module, has surfaced online. We explain why it is a crucial aspect of today's battlefield.

As highlighted by the portal The Warzone, the United States Marine Corps joined the ranks of MQ-9A Reaper drone users relatively late. The Marines' history with these drones dates back to 2018 when they used two borrowed units.

The Marines only acquired two drones in 2020, with the ultimate plan to acquire 25 drones by 2025. However, these are very vulnerable to anti-aircraft systems; even Houthi rebels in Yemen have been able to shoot them down, let alone the Chinese, who are a potential adversary for the US Navy and Marines under the Department of the Navy.

For this reason, it is no surprise that the Americans decided to equip their drones with electronic warfare pods, likely based on the AN/ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger II used on helicopters. We saw one during the MSPO 2022 fair, shown alongside the AH-1Z Viper helicopter. The Marine pilots remained almost silent, commenting briefly that it is invaluable in performing missions.

From the scant information, it was known that the AN/ALQ-231 Intrepid Tiger II can "actively mask" the signature of the object to which it is mounted through the DRFM (Digital Radio Frequency Memory) technique or similar. This involves capturing the enemy radar signal, analyzing it, and then retransmitting the altered signal so that nothing appears on the enemy radar. This is possible because, for the radar to work, it must operate at frequencies distinguishable from the background.

At least identical properties are to be had by the RDESS, according to the statements of Gen. Eric M. Smith, Commandant of the Marines, for the Brookings Institution on July 2, 2024. "It can mimic things that are sent to it that it detects, turn it around and send it back. So it becomes a hole, it becomes a black hole, it becomes mostly undetectable."

In its information about the RDESS pod, General Atomics also mentions the ability to detect radar signals or electronic warfare systems and geolocate them. This means that in real-time, it can send them to the command, which can then fire at such locations, e.g., with cruise missiles or perform airstrikes, e.g., using AGM-88E AARGM anti-radar missiles, which are an advancement of the older AGM-88 HARM missile that has proven effective in Ukraine.

The American Marines are well known for efficiently managing their budget and upgrading older systems to perform tasks effectively on the constantly evolving battlefield. Thanks to the RDESS modules, the "Reapers" will not just be a target for being shot down in combat with an equal adversary.