Association of Old Crows

The Association of Old Crows is an international nonprofit professional organization serving practitioners, researchers, educators, government personnel, military personnel, and industry specialists working in electronic warfare and closely related fields. Its activities center on the operational and technical use of the electromagnetic spectrum, including electronic attack, electronic protection, electronic support, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, tactical information operations, and associated information-gathering disciplines. The organization is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and operates through a wider professional network that includes members and local chapters in multiple countries. Rather than functioning as a commercial product brand, the Association of Old Crows acts as a technical, educational, and advocacy body. It brings together expertise from defense organizations, technology companies, universities, government agencies, and military communities, helping members exchange knowledge about rapidly changing electronic-warfare capabilities and operating environments. Its stated mission is to advocate for the importance of strong defense capabilities that emphasize electronic warfare and information operations, communicating this need to government, industry, academia, and the public. The association also supports professional development and the dissemination of research through events, chapter activity, educational initiatives, and specialist publications. These activities reflect the growing importance of electromagnetic-spectrum operations to military communications, sensing, command and control, intelligence collection, and protection of critical systems. The name “Old Crows” derives from terminology associated with the early development of electronic warfare during the Second World War. Allied electronic-warfare equipment and operators were reportedly associated with the code name “Raven”; informal usage evolved toward “Crows,” and personnel working in the field came to be known as “Old Crows.” The name therefore links the modern organization to the historical origins of electronic countermeasures and radar-related operations. A major part of the association’s publishing activity is the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance, commonly known as JED. The publication began in 1977 under the title Journal of Electronic Defense and later adopted its current name in May 2020. The change was intended to reflect a broader conception of the electromagnetic environment and enterprise-wide electromagnetic-spectrum operations. The journal covers electronic warfare, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, military science, and related developments. It serves as the association’s official media outlet and is based in Gainesville, Florida. The Association of Old Crows remains active as a professional community and knowledge-sharing platform. Its role is particularly relevant as armed forces and governments address spectrum congestion, contested communications, sophisticated sensors, cyber-electromagnetic integration, and the need to coordinate electronic warfare with wider information operations.

The Association of Old Crows developed from the professional community formed around the early practice of electronic warfare. The organization’s name reflects terminology associated with the Second World War, when Allied electronic-warfare equipment and operators were linked with the code name “Raven.” Informal military usage reportedly changed this expression to “Crows,” leading practitioners in the field to become known as “Old Crows.” The name preserves a connection with the early history of radar disruption, communications interference, electronic countermeasures, and related operations. The association’s role has expanded beyond the historical practice of disrupting enemy communications and radar. It now serves a broad community concerned with electronic warfare, tactical information operations, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, information gathering, and the wider management of the electromagnetic spectrum. Its members include military personnel, government specialists, engineers, researchers, technology professionals, and academics. Through this community, the organization supports professional exchange between the public sector, defense industry, research institutions, and operational users. The Association of Old Crows is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and maintains an international presence through its membership and chapter structure. Its activities include disseminating technical information, supporting education in relevant scientific and operational subjects, and advocating for the continued importance of electronic warfare and information operations in national defense. The association communicates this position to government, industry, academia, and the public, emphasizing that electromagnetic-spectrum capabilities are central to modern command, control, communications, intelligence, sensing, and force protection. Publishing has been an important element of the organization’s professional mission. In 1977, it established a specialist periodical called the Journal of Electronic Defense. The publication addressed military science and developments in electronic warfare, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, and communications intelligence. In May 2020, it was renamed the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance, or JED. The revised title reflected a wider strategic understanding of operations in the electromagnetic domain and the need for enterprise-based approaches to electromagnetic-spectrum operations. The journal functions as the association’s official media outlet and is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida. Over time, the organization has continued to operate as a professional association rather than a commercial defense contractor or equipment manufacturer. Its value lies in convening specialists, circulating knowledge, supporting education, and maintaining a community around a technically complex and strategically important field. The Association of Old Crows is therefore associated with the professional infrastructure of electronic warfare: publications, events, chapters, advocacy, and knowledge exchange rather than with a single proprietary product.

• 2020

  Journal renamed Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance

  [1]Association of Old Crowsen.wikipedia.org

  In May 2020, the association changed the publication’s name to Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance to signal a broader focus on the electromagnetic domain and electromagnetic-spectrum operations.

• 1977

  Launch of the Journal of Electronic Defense

  [1]Association of Old Crowsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization established the Journal of Electronic Defense, a specialist publication covering electronic warfare, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, and related military-science topics.

A nonprofit professional association and specialist knowledge network for the electronic-warfare, electromagnetic-spectrum operations, information-operations, and signals-intelligence communities.

• Professional publication · 1977

  Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance

  The Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance is the Association of Old Crows’ official media outlet. It covers military science and professional developments involving electronic warfare, signals intelligence, electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, and broader electromagnetic-spectrum operations. First published in 1977 as the Journal of Electronic Defense, it adopted its current name in May 2020 to reflect a wider strategic and operational understanding of the electromagnetic domain.

• Membership service

  Professional membership

  The association provides a professional network for people working in electronic warfare, tactical information operations, electromagnetic-spectrum operations, signals intelligence, defense technology, government, academia, and related disciplines. Membership connects specialists across military, governmental, industrial, and educational communities and supports access to professional information and association activities.

• Professional development

  Technical events and educational programs

  Through events, chapter programs, information exchange, and educational activity, the Association of Old Crows supports professional development in electronic warfare and related scientific fields. These programs help practitioners and researchers follow changes in operational methods, technology, intelligence disciplines, and electromagnetic-spectrum strategy.

• 2020

  Broadened the scope signaled by the association’s official publicationStrategy

  Background

  The previous Journal of Electronic Defense title emphasized a traditional electronic-defense framing, while the association’s activities increasingly addressed the electromagnetic domain and wider electromagnetic-spectrum operations.

  Action taken

  The publication was renamed Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance in May 2020.

  Aftermath

  The new title positioned the journal around a broader enterprise-level view of electromagnetic-spectrum operations and related defense disciplines.

  Source

• 2020

  Association publication renamed Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance[1]Association of Old Crowsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Association of Old Crows renamed its official publication from the Journal of Electronic Defense to the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance. The new title reflected a broader focus on the electromagnetic domain and enterprise-wide electromagnetic-spectrum operations.

1. 1Association of Old Crowsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Association of Old Crows official websitecrows.org