Electronic warfare support measures

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In military telecommunications, the term electronic warfare support measures (ESM) is the division of electronic warfare involving actions taken under direct control of an operational commander to search for, intercept, identify, and locate sources of radiated electromagnetic energy for the purpose of immediate threat recognition. Thus, electronic warfare support measures (ESM) provide a source of information required for immediate decisions involving electronic counter-measures (ECM), electronic counter-counter-measures (ECCM), avoidance, targeting, and other tactical employment of forces. Electronic warfare support measures data can be used to produce signals intelligence (SIGINT), both communications intelligence (COMINT) and electronics intelligence (ELINT).