text: Threats to be Countered by Short-Range Air Defense
  ELECTROMAGNETIC WARFARE AND CYBERSPACE
  Electromagnetic warfare and cyberspace threats are continuously present throughout the tactical,
  operational, and strategic levels of warfare. Electromagnetic warfare consists of the threat's ability to detect
  U.S. emitters (radar and communications) and then deny, degrade, disrupt, or destroy those emitters and other
  electromagnetic spectrum dependent devices.
  The most common form of tactical electromagnetic attack is electromagnetic jamming. Jamming
  consists of an emitter radiating electromagnetic energy to prevent a radar receiver from discerning the
  expected return from the background noise or a radio from receiving voice or data. Advanced jamming
  techniques allow the threat to project false location, speed, and altitude creating confusion for radar operators.
  Regional powers, peer states, and transnational terrorist organizations have personnel with capabilities
  of conducting cyberspace attacks on installations and sites. Cyberspace attacks are expected against C2
  nodes, theater and tactical data and voice networks, information systems, radars and their tracking and
  targeting systems, and missile guidance packages. The threat is expected to use cyberspace attacks in
  conjunction with physical attacks as part of a larger campaign. Cyberspace threats can prevent target
  detection, tracking, and engagement of threat munitions and platforms.
  THREAT APPLICATION
  Air threat employment against U.S. ground forces will vary from country to country. This employment
  will be driven by threat equipment, capability, organizational structure, military-political goals, and such
  other factors as terrain, weather, time, and friendly air defenses likely encountered.
  By understanding air threat proliferation and equipment, the commander can make assumptions on
  how a threat may employ air assets to interdict U.S. operations. The following information describes the type
  of threat that may be associated with anti-access and area denial and large-scale combat operations.
  Potential adversaries are investing in anti-access strategies and area-denial capabilities to counter the
  U.S. ability to project military force into an operational area with sufficient freedom of action to accomplish
  assigned missions. Entry forces in an anti-access and area denial environment may deploy in an air inferiority
  or air parity environment. The threat will use all available aerial assets against lucrative targets such as air
  and sea ports, assembly areas, and supply points in the areas of debarkation. The challenge to the SHORAD
  commander during this phase will be UASs conducting reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target
  acquisition operations supporting targeting of troop and logistical concentrations by low-altitude attack
  aircraft and missiles.
  As U.S. forces buildup, threat UASs will focus on locating unit movements, gathering information on
  unit sizes and strengths, and determining their follow-on movements. Information obtained by
  reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition will be relayed back to commanders who
  can be expected to use any attack means necessary to inflict maximum casualties, inhibit momentum, and
  destroy forces. These aerial attack systems could be rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, lethal
  UASs, or combinations thereof in synchronized attacks.
  The threat can counter large-scale combat operations with a myriad of aerial platforms. UASs will
  provide the threat commander the necessary information to determine friendly unit locations, movements,
  and objectives. Air and RAM strikes will be generated from the information collected about such targets as
  maneuver forces, forward arming and refueling points, C2 nodes, artillery assets, and reserve troop
  concentrations. Lethal UASs can be effective in disabling C2 nodes or destroying armored vehicles. Cruise
  missiles could be used against logistics concentrations, C2 nodes, or with sub-munitions for area denial.
  Helicopters could be used to attack forward elements and the flanks of the advancing maneuver forces to
  slow their tempo, cause confusion, and thereby inflict maximum casualties. Attack helicopters constitute the
  most widespread and capable air threat to ground forces in the close battle.
  Threat ground forces, especially special operations forces, are a constant danger to AMD assets as they
  are considered to be critical targets. Ground forces can attack from any direction against SHORAD units
  which have limited force protection capabilities, large perimeters, and are quite vulnerable if force protection
  is not coordinated with and complemented by the supported unit.