Electronic warfare developed alongside military aviation as radio jamming became a regular wartime practice. The distinction is between an isolated early experiment and a tactic deployed routinely across a force. Airborne equipment has alternated between add-on systems and dedicated aircraft as air defences have become more capable. During the Second World War, Mosquitos dispensing chaff could create several apparent bomber streams on radar and leave defenders uncertain where to send their fighters. Modern aircraft such as the EA-18G can suppress or confuse air-defence networks, with the results depending on the opponent's sustained investment in those defences. Stealth remains optimized against expected radar types, so electronic attack can suppress other sensors that threaten the strike aircraft. Stealth aircraft and electronic warfare therefore support one another.
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Electronic warfare opens routes for carrier strikes
From radio jamming and chaff to dedicated suppression aircraft, electronic warfare disrupts air defenses and remains especially valuable alongside stealth aircraft.