ELI5: What is electronic warfare (explained simply)?

Electronic warfare is like playing hide-and-seek with radios and other electronic gadgets.

Imagine you and your friends are playing hide-and-seek, but instead of just looking, you have walkie-talkies. Electronic warfare is similar, but with more advanced devices to:

• Listen: One side might try to "eavesdrop" on the other side's walkie-talkie conversations to figure out where they are hiding or what they're planning. This is called electronic surveillance. Think of it like listening in on someone's phone call.

• Jam: One side could use a special device to make it hard for the other side to hear on their walkie-talkies. This is called electronic jamming. Imagine someone shouting loudly into your walkie-talkie so you can't hear your friend.

• Trick: One side might send fake messages on the other side's walkie-talkies to confuse them. This is called electronic deception. Like sending a text to your friend saying "I'm behind the big tree!" when you are actually somewhere else entirely.

• Protect their own communications and systems.
• Disrupt the enemy's communications and systems.
• Gather information about the enemy.