Armada’s monthly round-up of all the latest electronic warfare news in the product, programme and operational domains.
Belgium and UK Deepen EW Collaboration
It has been revealed that Belgium and the United Kingdom will establish a Joint Electronic Warfare Centre (JEWC). Dubbed the JEWC 2.0, according to a report on the initiative, the centre will focus on cyberwarfare and cybersecurity activities. These tasks will include weapon system data reprogramming, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support. An additional mission will be the development of a counter-uninhabited aerial vehicle system test centre.
The establishment of the JEWC 2.0 is the result of an agreement between the UK and Belgium to deepen strategic cooperation which will stretch from 2026 to 2030. The establishment of the centre is underpinned by a $176 million budget.
Armada understands that the JEWC 2.0 will be collocated on a military base in Brussels, although the exact facility has not been revealed. Possible candidates include the Belgian General Staff headquarters. This facility also houses the Belgian military’s intelligence and cyber command branches. Another possible site is Melsbroek airbase collocated at Brussels International Airport in the northeast of the city. The airbase is close to where the existing, and new, General Staff headquarters are, and will be, located.
No details have been released regarding the expected responsibilities and contributions of the UK and Belgian sides concerning the JEWC 2.0. Details are likewise not forthcoming regarding the centre’s expected activation. Nonetheless, Armada understands that the centre in Belgium will work closely with the Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre at the Royal Air Force Waddington airbase in eastern England. This collaboration will help develop data collaboration practices between the two centres.
A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) told Armada that the MOD is “working closely with the Belgium Cyber Command to develop the memorandum of understanding (for the centre and its work) and will be able to release more details once it is finalised”.
by Dr. Thomas Withington
