As we said, we depend on wireless networking quite a lot. Wireless communication is like two people speaking. One of them speaks and then listens, and vice-versa. What if a third person gets close to them and starts shouting so loud that the other two cannot listen to each other anymore? In the beginning, they will try to continue the conversation but soon they will realise that it is not possible and they will stop speaking, waiting for the crazy guy to shut up. This is what happens to many communication protocols. When they notice that the channel is busy, they back off. Thus, message exchange between those devices is suspended. Even if they tried to communicate when the medium is not free, like some other protocols do, if the noise is too high then the messages would not be received correctly on the other side and no communication would be possible. This is what we call wireless jamming.
Thus, low radar cross-sections and radar-absorbent materials will be a necessary, but not sufficient, feature of sixth-generation fighters. Some theorists argue that stealthy airframes may eventually be rendered obsolete by advanced sensor technology—and stealthy airframes can’t be upgraded as easily as avionics and weapons. Therefore, jamming, electronic warfare, and infrared obscuring defenses will also rise in importance.
Wammer, short for Wifi Jammer, bundles all steps behind a drastically simple but effective UI. To start an attack, the user just has to press the “Activate signal jammer” button. That’s all! Seconds after the jamming starts and the users device will be the only one connected with the WiFi access point.
The problem with this is (a) good Wi-Fi routers today use 5Ghz in addition to 2.4Ghz and there are a lot more 5Ghz channels available. Then there is (b) that if you clog up one 2.4Ghz channel all the owner of the access point has to do is switch channels. This can get to be an escalating war where they switch channels and you change the channel on your phone. Endlessly. Until someone escalates with a baseball bat or worse.
Sensor fusion and optional-manning, however, imply that sixth generation jets will rely heavily on datalinks and networks which could be disrupted by jamming or even invaded through hacking. Ground-based logistics networks, such as the F-35’s ALIS, promise significant improvements in efficiency, but also expose even landed aircraft to potential cyberattack.
B-52 weapons developers have added that a second increment, to finish by 2022, will integrate more modern or cutting-edge weapons such as the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, JASSM Extended Range (ER) and a technology called Miniature Air Launched Decoy, or MALD. A MALD-J “jammer” variant, which will also be integrated into the B-52, can be used to jam enemy radar technologies as well.