Which best describes the difference between electronic warfare (EW) and cyber operations in maritime warfare?

Which best describes the difference between electronic warfare (EW) and cyber operations in maritime warfare?

• A. Cyber operations involve intrusions or disruption of digital networks and data integrity.
• B. EW degrades or deceives enemy sensors and communications using jamming, deception, and spoofing.
• C. EW and cyber operations are identical in objectives and methods.
• D. Cyber operations only apply to land-based networks and cannot affect ships at sea.

Answer: (B)

Electronic warfare in a maritime setting works on the electromagnetic spectrum to deny, degrade, or mislead an adversary’s sensors and communications. It uses jamming, deception, and spoofing to disrupt radar, radios, and data links without touching the underlying data itself. Cyber operations, on the other hand, act on digital information systems—networks, software, and data integrity—by intruding, manipulating, or disrupting them, which can affect navigation, control, or combat systems. So the best way to describe the distinction is that EW targets the signals and links through the spectrum, while cyber operations target the information systems and data. The other statements either blur the difference or misstate the scope, such as claiming they’re identical or that cyber operations can’t affect ships at sea.

Electronic warfare in a maritime setting works on the electromagnetic spectrum to deny, degrade, or mislead an adversary’s sensors and communications. It uses jamming, deception, and spoofing to disrupt radar, radios, and data links without touching the underlying data itself. Cyber operations, on the other hand, act on digital information systems—networks, software, and data integrity—by intruding, manipulating, or disrupting them, which can affect navigation, control, or combat systems. So the best way to describe the distinction is that EW targets the signals and links through the spectrum, while cyber operations target the information systems and data. The other statements either blur the difference or misstate the scope, such as claiming they’re identical or that cyber operations can’t affect ships at sea.