The US Army will begin prototyping a modular electronic warfare (EW) kit in 2026 that could operate across nearly any platform.
The Modular Mission Payload (MMP) is part of the Army Transformation Initiative, a broad effort to modernize and standardize platforms, systems, and software under a common plug-and-play framework.
Col. Scott Shaffer, project manager at the Intelligence, EW and Sensors program office, told Breaking Defense that the initiative is still in its early phase.
“I probably don’t have a lot of information on the production quantities and demand, because part of the prototyping process, which we’re going to dig really deep into next fiscal year, is understanding how many do we need? And then where do they fit in the formations?” he stated.
Expanding Force
David May, senior cyber-intelligence advisor at the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence, said the service is adding 18 new EW company units across divisions, a move that could drive future demands for the kit and support associated operations.
Shaffer noted the MMP must be built with ready-made military or commercial parts, and even if it only meets about 60 percent of requirements at first, it can be fielded quickly and upgraded later with modular add-ons.
Breaking From CMOSS
Col. Leslie Gorman, a US Army capability manager, said the MMP will differ from the current CMOSS (C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards) architecture, which she described as too bulky for manned and unmanned vehicles.
CMOSS serves as a “universal” plug system that lets various tools fit into the same slot across platforms, reducing the need for a unique setup.
Instead, MMP will use lighter chassis and flexible tools such as software-defined radios and dual-use sensors for faster battlefield integration.
“I think we’re past that point of where you’re going to have a dedicated EW vehicle trying to move across a battlefield, antennas looking like a porcupine,” Gorman explained.
“We’re really trying to get to a more mission modular payload, because we recognize that electromagnetic warfare is a critical enabler across all warfighting functions.”
