Which statement best describes the primary EW mission areas and their purposes?

• A. Electronic Attack degrades enemy systems; Electronic Protection safeguards friendly systems; Electronic Support gathers spectrum information and intelligence.
• B. Electronic Attack protects friendly systems; Electronic Protection degrades enemy; Electronic Support collects weather data.
• C. Electronic Attack degrades enemy systems; Electronic Protection safeguards friendly systems; Electronic Support gathers spectrum information and intelligence.
• D. Electronic Attack monitors friendly troop movements; Electronic Protection encrypts weather data.

Answer: (C)

Electronic warfare is organized around three mission areas: Electronic Attack, Electronic Protection, and Electronic Support. Electronic Attack degrades or disrupts the enemy’s electronic systems and use of the spectrum. Electronic Protection safeguards our own systems and operations from EW effects, increasing resilience and reducing vulnerability. Electronic Support gathers spectrum information and intelligence—such as signal detection, analysis, and threat warning—to inform decisions and guide EW actions.

This combination best describes the purpose of each area: deny or degrade the opponent’s capabilities, protect our forces and circuits, and provide the situational awareness and intelligence needed to conduct effective EW. Choices that suggest weather data or non-EW tasks don’t fit the core roles of these mission areas.