Enabling the Swarm: Equipping Drones with Electronic Warfare Capabilities

Northrop Grumman is setting a new standard in electronic warfare (EW) technology with innovative solutions that offer unrivaled capabilities, even in miniature systems.

The modern battlespace presents unique challenges characterized by contested and degraded environments, where the struggle for vital bandwidth intensifies among allies and adversaries alike. To secure a decisive advantage while undermining enemy capabilities, the U.S. and its allies demand EW technology that is advanced, agile, resilient, and scalable. Northrop Grumman has responded with a revolutionary technology that is both compact and powerful, ensuring dominance in any operational environment.

During the Silent Swarm 2025 event, an annual U.S. Navy demonstration focused on advanced EW for small, unmanned systems, Northrop Grumman presented a live proof-of-concept. At the event, the company successfully integrated its Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) onto various compact platforms, including miniature robots, unmanned surface vessels, and drones. This integration showcased the significant impact that small systems can achieve, as these platforms equipped with TEEMS become formidable assets capable of detecting and jamming enemy signals quickly and accurately, guaranteeing superiority across multiple domains.

Conner Wood, an electrical engineer based in Warner Robins, Georgia, integrates Northrop Grumman’s TEEMS Tactical Edge Device onto an unmanned surface vessel in preparation for the EW demonstrations at Silent Swarm 2025. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

A Big Punch in a Tiny Package

In today’s contested environments, where every inch of space and every ounce of weight play a crucial role, EW solutions must couple top-tier performance with high efficiency in size, weight, and power (SWaP) for unparalleled mission flexibility. Northrop Grumman’s TEEMS fulfills these demands by seamlessly integrating high-performance EW capabilities into a compact 1U Modular Payload. Smaller than a business card, it was the most compact yet the most capable device at the event, showcasing exceptional performance in a revolutionary form factor.

The demonstration underscored the effectiveness of resilient, scalable technologies engineered for mobility. Throughout the event, Northrop Grumman’s team achieved the following:

• Countered Evolving Threats: The team successfully geolocated a frequency-agile target emitter, which are notoriously challenging to disrupt, and executed stand-in jamming.
• Achieved Intelligent, Integrated Operations: By integrating with Tactical Assault Kit software, the team remotely coordinated multiple unmanned ground and surface units over a wide, 50-square-mile operational area. This coordination demonstrated the system’s capacity for intelligent and integrated mission operational solutions.
• Maximized Combat Impact: In a single, simultaneous action, TEEMS successfully neutralized three different radios across a broad frequency spectrum.

Northrop Grumman leads the charge in developing technology that delivers significant impact, compacting powerful systems into small packages. The Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) Tactical Edge Device houses Rock Ridge, Northrop Grumman’s cutting-edge electronic warfare transceiver, within a compact 1U Modular Payload. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

“Silent Swarm 2025 was a resounding success, not only for its technological advancements, but for showcasing our team’s ability to innovate and execute under pressure,” said Angela Johns, vice president of weapons integration and mission solutions at Northrop Grumman. “This initiative reinforces our commitment to delivering mission-ready solutions tested in simulated environments and solidifying our role in advancing tactical operational dominance both today and in the future.”

The successful demonstration of high-end electronic warfare capabilities integrated within a compact, modular package empowers the U.S. and its allies to maintain mission readiness at the tactical edge. The achievements at Silent Swarm 2025, alongside technologies like the TEEMS device, illustrate how Northrop Grumman is crafting the advantage for present performance and future success along the tactical frontier.

Source: Northrop Grumman (2025-11-03T14:00:00Z)