Capability evolution and development routes of U.S. Navy shipborne electronic warfare based on the AN/SLQ-32/SEWIP lineage

Existing open-source studies often blur the boundaries between equipment variants and capability blocks, insufficiently relate technical analysis to shipboard constraints, and lack stability tests for development-route prioritization. Based on U.S. Department of Defense and Navy documents, operational test and audit reports, contract announcements, contractor materials, and academic publications available as of 31 August 2026, this study systematically reviews the AN/SLQ-32 family, the capability blocks of the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP), and their configurations on representative naval platforms. A four-layer evaluation framework comprising the capability chain, platform constraints, program maturity, and evidence credibility is established. Three transparent weighting scenarios are used to analyze ranking sensitivity, while publicly reported milestones of representative programs are used to check the maturity assignments. The results show that AN/SLQ-32(V)6 primarily restructures the electronic-support antennas, receivers, mission processing, and combat-system interfaces, whereas (V)7 integrates Block 3 active electronically scanned array electronic-attack capability into the (V)6 electronic-support baseline. Open-source evidence confirms its initial shipboard installation and subsequent production contracts; however, capability blocks, system variants, ship classes, production lots, and installation phases do not correspond on a simple one-to-one basis. Scenario analysis indicates that digital engineering and mission-data closed-loop development, together with scalable electronic attack, maintain relatively stable near-term priorities. By contrast, the relative priority of integrated radio frequency systems and distributed coordination is sensitive to the weights assigned to platform suitability and program maturity. Credible cognitive closed-loop capability still requires validation across shipboard mission chains. For China, in-service ships may follow an incremental upgrade path that prioritizes interfaces and data, restructures receiving and processing functions, and introduces effect-generation capabilities in stages. For newly designed ships, integrated radio frequency systems, digital arrays, power supply and cooling, and system-level electromagnetic compatibility should be coordinated from the overall design stage.