As electronic capabilities improved during the cold war, so did the importance of methods used to defeat the enemy's systems. All of Sterett's sensors were equipped with features to both harden the system against jamming and deception but also with features to confound and confuse the enemy's systems.
Beyond these "built-in" features, Sterett was routinely upgraded with systems electronic an otherwise that could be employed to detect, decode, scramble and jam the enemy's systems. The electronic systems used to do this were referred initially as Electronic Warfare (EW) and the Navy developed a special rating (EW) for the technicians manning these systems. In the 1970's a large space was built above and forward of the signal bridge above CIC to house some of the electronic warfare equipment. These features were also referred to as ECM or electronic Counter Measures. The art soon was expanded to be called ECCM of Electronic Counter Counter Measures.
As these systems increased in both complexity and capabilities, they were integrated into the tactical data systems entity. ECM provided a way to identify and classify targets. This capability was also used to provide a passive early warning system that could sense the launch of enemy missiles and allow the combat data systems to deploy decoys and defenses against the attack.
Decoy systems for missile and torpedo ranged from overhead blooming chaff to chaffroc to the SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoy system.
Each evolution of EW, ECM and ECCM system carried it's own equipment designation. Initially each subsystem stood alone with it's own designation. By 1991 all these subsystems were integrated into a suite of equipment with a singular designation. The last system installed aboard Sterett was the SLQ-32(V)3, a complex and highly classified system.
The Chaffroc launchers (one port and one starboard) were installed aboard Sterett in 1969 in the Yokosuka, Japan shipyard. These launchers each contained rockets that dispensed a cloud of shredded foil at the end of their trajectory. These clouds of foil were designed to act as a decoy and confuse weapon system and primarily missile radar systems. These launchers were a initially a problematic device and spent many years as an unusable adjunct to the ships electronic countermeasures suite. These mounts were located one deck Dow and directly below the signal bridge wings.
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