Mission expansion: 350th SWW activates new EW det at Eglin

  • Published
  • By Capt. Benjamin Aronson
  • 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing
EGLIN AIR FORCE, Fla. --  The 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing (SWW) activated its newest detachment, the 350th Spectrum Warfare Group (SWG), Detachment 1. The Det supports mission data file (MDF) reprogramming efforts for command and control (C2C) platforms, combat rescue platforms and expendables for the Combat Air Force (CAF).

The activation of the 350th SWG, Det 1 realigns the missions of the 16th Electronic Warfare (EWS), which will solely focus on bomber MDFs, and the 36th EWS, which will solely serve as ACC’s fighter platform reprogramming squadron, enabling the 350th SWW to onboard and support future EW mission requirements.

“The need for a new unit has always been apparent,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Cocke, 350th Spectrum Warfare Group commander. “We know the mission requirements are going to expand in the next couple of years and we are building an organization to enable us to receive that additional mission and execute it.”

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Luke Marron was selected as the unit’s first commander.

“I’m immensely excited with the task in front of us to build the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing’s newest unit,” said Marron. “Together we’ll establish a culture and a unit that will develop critical EW capabilities that we all can be proud of.”

The 350th SWG, Det 1’s mission is to enhance the survivability in the EMS while accomplishing function and theater-specific Combatant Commander assigned missions. This will be accomplished through supporting operational sustainment for mission-specific software for EW jamming, detection and suppression systems.

The unit will also provide EW operational, technical, and maintenance expertise and 24-hour contingency reprogramming and conducting exploitation tests of foreign threat systems and support to developmental and operational tests of new and modified EW systems.

​​“The EMS has never played a more critical role in achieving air supremacy,” said Marron. “All of our platforms need to have the best data to take on our adversaries and this unit will be a critical part of the effort to provide that to the warfighter.”

Reprogramming MDFs provides our warfighters with the most up-to-date data and enables them to sense, identify, locate and counter threats, increasing survivability and lethality of our Airmen and assets.

“The fact that the wing exists and is growing new units is a really good indication that we are working to achieve EMS supremacy,” said Cocke. “The hope is when our enemies look at us, they decide they don't want to fight us because we are capable and ready.”