The US Army has tested a new electronic warfare system designed to disrupt enemy navigation signals and interfere with precision-guided weapons, marking the first overseas demonstration of its maritime variant.
Called “Hammer of the Gods,” the system was tested in mid-July as part of Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PC-C6), a military experiment focused on integrating advanced battlefield technologies. The Army said the exercise demonstrated that the system could be deployed, operated and recovered in a real-world maritime environment.
The test marked the first official demonstration of the sea-based version of the technology. Land-based versions of the system have already been tested over the past two years, according to the Army.
What is ‘Hammer of the Gods’ and how does it work?
The “Hammer of the Gods” is an electronic warfare system designed to disrupt positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals, including GPS data, that many modern weapons depend on for accurate targeting.
By interfering with these signals, the system can make it harder for adversaries to effectively use precision-guided weapons such as long-range artillery, guided missiles and cruise missiles.
{{/usCountry}}By interfering with these signals, the system can make it harder for adversaries to effectively use precision-guided weapons such as long-range artillery, guided missiles and cruise missiles.
{{/usCountry}}Without accurate navigation information, weapons may lose their ability to strike intended targets with precision, potentially delaying attacks or causing them to miss their objectives.
The system is also designed to support US forces by maintaining communications in environments where electronic signals are heavily disrupted. The Army said it can connect military devices and allow troops to continue to “shoot, move and communicate” even under degraded battlefield conditions.
Why is the US testing the technology?
The development comes as electronic warfare becomes an increasingly important part of modern conflicts. Military forces are using signal jamming and other technologies to disrupt drones, communications networks and satellite-dependent weapons.
The war in Ukraine has shown how critical electronic warfare capabilities have become, with both sides using tools to interfere with enemy communications and navigation systems.
The latest demonstration involved the US Army, Navy and Space Force, along with US Space Forces Pacific, Naval Base San Diego and the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
The exercise aimed to combine space, cyber and conventional military capabilities as the US prepares for future conflicts where control of the electromagnetic spectrum could play a decisive role.
The test comes amid discussions within NATO about adapting military technology for future battlefields. French Adm Pierre Vandier recently warned that the war in Ukraine had exposed challenges in producing weapons at the scale needed for prolonged conflicts, saying existing systems would need to be redesigned and expanded.