EWMS2 (electronic warfare mutual support)

EWMS2 stands for electronic warfare mutual support. It is a NATO military abbreviation, recorded in the NATO Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations in the form EWMS2, with the numeral included.

The same glossary gives the French equivalent as appui réciproque de guerre électronique and attributes the term to MC 0064/7. The entry belongs to NATO's electronic warfare vocabulary, which Allied forces use to describe military action in the electromagnetic spectrum.

What the NATO glossary says about EWMS2

The glossary entry has three parts. The abbreviation is EWMS2, the English expansion is "electronic warfare mutual support", and the French expansion is "appui réciproque de guerre électronique". The entry is attributed to MC 0064/7, a NATO Military Committee reference.

NATO's official terminology database, NATOTerm, is maintained by the NATO Terminology Office within the NATO Standardization Office. It holds non-classified military terminology relevant to the Alliance. Readers who need the current wording of a NATO term can consult NATOTerm directly.

EWMS2 and EWMS1 are different terms

The numeral matters. The same NATO glossary lists EWMS1 as "Electronic Warfare Management System" and EWMS2 as "electronic warfare mutual support". The two share letters but not meaning, and the glossary treats them as separate entries.

• EWMS1: Electronic Warfare Management System.
• EWMS2: electronic warfare mutual support.

Bid teams reading a document that uses "EWMS" without a numeral should look at the surrounding text to see which expansion is meant. Do not assume one from the other.

Electronic warfare in NATO and Canadian defence

NATO describes electromagnetic warfare activities as exploiting electromagnetic energy to provide situational awareness and to create offensive and defensive effects. NATO's work on electronic warfare command and control, such as the material in this Allied Command Transformation overview, stresses coordination, synchronization, information exchange and interoperability among Allied forces.

Canada has its own electronic warfare activity. The Canadian Armed Forces' 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment provides tactical electronic warfare support to CAF operations, and National Defence has announced a new facility for the regiment at CFB Kingston.

The Defence Capabilities Blueprint lists a project titled Canadian Forces Electronic Warfare Support, sponsored by the Assistant Deputy Minister (Digital Services). National Defence has also posed a challenge on electromagnetic spectrum superiority. It describes systems that bring friendly, enemy and neutral activity into a recognized electromagnetic picture and prevent interference with friendly forces.

These Canadian sources address the broader electronic warfare support field. They do not use the term EWMS2.

What EWMS2 means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

EWMS2 is a terminology entry, not a compliance requirement. The NATO glossary defines the term. It does not set out a certification, deliverable, security clearance or reporting obligation for suppliers.

• Treat EWMS2 as NATO vocabulary for electronic warfare mutual support when you meet it in NATO-linked material.
• Keep it separate from EWMS1, the Electronic Warfare Management System.
• Take supplier obligations from the solicitation itself, including its technical, interoperability and security clauses, and not from the glossary entry.
• If a solicitation uses the term without defining it, ask the contracting authority a question through the tender's stated process before you price or commit.