Enabling the Swarm: Equipping Drones with Electronic Warfare Capabilities

Northrop Grumman is redefining the future of electronic warfare by creating cutting-edge technology that delivers unmatched capability - even in the smallest of systems.

The modern battlespace is defined by contested and degraded environments where allies and adversaries compete for crucial bandwidth. To maintain a decisive advantage and degrade the capabilities of enemy forces, the U.S. and its allies require electronic warfare (EW) technology that is not only advanced but also agile, resilient and scalable. That's why Northrop Grumman, has developed a revolutionary technology, compact yet powerful, that can dominate in any environment.

At Silent Swarm 2025, an annual U.S. Navy demonstration of advanced EW for small, unmanned systems, Northrop Grumman delivered a live, proof-of-concept. On-site, the company integrated its Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) onto compact platforms - ranging from tiny robots to unmanned surface vessels and drones - demonstrating how these small systems can produce outsized impacts. With TEEMS embedded, these platforms become powerful tools capable of detecting and jamming enemy signs with speed and precision, ensuring superiority across every domain.

Connor Wood, an electrical engineer based in Warner Robins, Georgia, integrates Northrop Grumman's TEEMS Tactical Edge Device onto an unmanned surface vessel in preparation for the EW demonstrations at Silent Swarm 2025. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

A Big Punch in a Tiny Package

In contested environments, where every inch of space and ounce of weight matters, EW solutions must combine top-tier performance with ultra-efficient size, weight and power (SWaP) for unmatched mission flexibility. Northrop Grumman's TEEMS solution delivers exactly that, integrating high-performance EW capabilities into a compact 1U Modular Payload. Measuring smaller than a business card, it was not only the smallest at the event, but also the most capable, packing powerful performance into an unprecedented form factor.

The demonstration was a testament to the power of resilient, scalable technologies, designed for mobility. While on-site, Northrop Grumman's team:

• Countered Evolving Threats:The team successfully geolocated a frequency-agile target emitter - which are known to be difficult to disrupt - and performed stand-in jamming.
• Achieved Intelligent, Integrated Operations:Through the integration with Tactical Assault Kit software, the team remotely controlled multiple unmanned ground and surface units across a large, 50-square-mile operational area. The system's ability to seamlessly coordinate with these diverse assets demonstrated its capacity for intelligent, integrated mission solutioning.
• Maximized Combat Impact: In a single, simultaneous action, TEEMS knocked out three different radios that were spread across a wide frequency range.

Northrop Grumman is at the forefront of building technology that delivers maximum impact - packing big power into pocket-sized tech. The Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) Tactical Edge Device packages "Rock Ridge," Northrop Grumman's state-of-the-art electronic warfare (EW) transceiver, into a compact 1U Modular Payload. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

"Silent Swarm 2025 was a resounding success, not just for its technological achievements, but because it underscored our team's ability to innovate and execute under pressure," said Angela Johns, vice president, weapons integration & mission solutions, Northrop Grumman. "This effort reinforces our commitment to delivering mission-ready solutions tested in simulated environments and solidifying our role in advancing tactical operation dominance both today and in the future."

By successfully showcasing that high-end electronic warfare (EW) capabilities can be integrated in a compact, modular package, Northrop Grumman is empowering the U.S. and its allies to remain mission-ready at the tactical edge. The work accomplished at Silent Swarm 2025, along with technology such as the TEEMS device, illustrates how the company is architecting the advantage for today's performance and tomorrow's success along the tactical edge.