Wars are no longer just fought with bullets, tanks, and fighter jets. The battlefield has expanded into the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace, and the fight for control over these domains is shaping the future of military strategy. Electronic warfare (EW) and cyber operations are no longer supporting elements of defence—they are central to modern offensive missions. Yet, one of the most overlooked aspects of this shift is the vulnerability of mission support objectives—the logistics, intelligence, command and control (C2) networks that keep forces operational.

I’ve seen firsthand how mission success isn’t just about firepower—it’s about coordination, resilience, and the ability to degrade, disable or destroy the adversary. If your C2 systems are down, or your logistics chain is compromised, and your intelligence has been manipulated, you’ve already lost—before a single shot is fired.

The Expanding Digital Battlefield

With boots on the ground, the reliance on your team is critical to achieving the mission objectives and preserving life. The expansion of the battlefield into the digital realm is now more critical than ever with the expansion of operatives and objectives.

When we talk about electronic warfare, people often picture radio jammers, radar interference, and signal disruption—classic tactics that have been used for decades. But that’s only part of the picture now. The convergence of EW and cyber warfare has changed everything.

Today’s adversaries aren’t just jamming signals; they’re manipulating entire systems. They’re hacking satellite communications, intercepting battlefield intelligence, and even inserting false data into decision-making processes. They don’t just disrupt—they deceive. That’s a far more dangerous game.

Take the 2022 cyberattack on ViaSat, which disrupted Ukrainian military communications. This wasn’t a conventional attack—it was a well-coordinated cyber-EW operation designed to cut off command and control before Russian forces even moved. This kind of attack shows just how vulnerable modern militaries are when they underestimate the importance of securing mission support systems.

Furthermore, the adversaries are now extending the battlefield to the backline, the support centres and bases where missions are planned and carried out. With the importance of base security, the attacks are now focussing on areas like logistics and critical infrastructure to degrade abilities to provide support to the battlefields. Imagine if I can impact your critical water and fuel supply. This not only slows the progress of missions but also impacts the morale and capability of the forces.

The increased prevalence of autonomous systems on both sides means that this battle is ongoing without the need to reload or resupply, it is relentless. We see this more and more with the use of drones and other capabilities weaponised to infiltrate and attack networks and systems.

Mission Support: The Backbone of Military Operations

Most people don’t think about logistics or C2 networks when they think about warfare, but those of us who’ve been in military operations know the truth: firepower means nothing if you can’t coordinate, resupply, and adapt in real-time.

Mission support isn’t just about moving supplies and relaying orders—it’s about ensuring that every single aspect of an operation is synchronized, secure, and untouchable by enemy forces.

Think about this: What happens if your logistics network is compromised? Your supply convoys are rerouted or delayed, leaving forces under-equipped at critical moments. What if your battlefield intelligence is intercepted and manipulated? Your forces could be walking straight into a trap, thinking they’re acting on reliable intel. What if your C2 systems are attacked? You’ve just lost the ability to coordinate your forces when it matters most.

These are not hypothetical scenarios—they are active threats that are shaping the way modern conflicts unfold. And if military forces don’t start treating mission support objectives as top-tier attack vectors, they will continue to be the Achilles’ heel of modern operations.

Like a human body, the ability to move, function and live cannot be achieved without the backbone of a central nervous system and so it is for supporting missions in today’s modern warfare.

Building Resilience Against Cyber-EW Threats

It’s not enough to just react when an attack happens—we need to build systems that can withstand and adapt to these threats in real-time. That means integrating cybersecurity directly into electronic warfare defence strategies.

Securing military communications is priority number one. Encryption alone won’t cut it anymore—adversaries are leveraging AI to break traditional security measures faster than ever. We need multi-layered defences: quantum-resistant encryption, frequency-hopping technology, AI-driven anomaly detection and OODA looping scenarios in real-time.

Intelligence systems also need to be protected from manipulation. Deepfake technology, AI-generated disinformation, and cyber intrusions are now part of the battlefield. If we can’t verify that the data we’re acting on is real, we’re making decisions in the dark. We need real-time verification protocols, cross-referenced intelligence streams, and AI-assisted analysis that can detect and counter false information before it gets acted upon.

Logistics security is another critical weakness that can’t be ignored. Military supply chains and Operating Technology (OT) have become increasingly digital, which means they’re just as susceptible to cyber-attacks as any other system. Using blockchain verification, automated intrusion detection, and AI-enhanced monitoring, we can prevent supply chain disruptions before they happen.

A New Era of Warfare

Electronic and cyber warfare are no longer support elements—they are the front lines of modern military conflict. It’s time for defence forces to stop treating mission support systems as secondary concerns and start prioritising their protection as a core military objective.

The future of military dominance won’t be determined by who has the biggest weapons—it will be determined by who can operate in a contested, disrupted, and cyber-compromised environment without losing C2.

The question isn’t if these systems will be attacked. The question is whether military forces will be prepared when they are.