EW system for F-16s passes critical design review
NewsJanuary 31, 2023
MELBOURNE, Florida. The Viper Shield electronic warfare (EW) system that will go on F-16 Block 70/72 foreign military sales aircraft has achieved a critical design review (CDR) milestone, manufacturer L3Harris Technologies announced in a statement.
"The AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield successfully completed a CDR milestone with partner Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force observing," the statement reads. "Designed as the baseline EW system on the new F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft, the system will provide a virtual electronic shield that improves aircraft protection through a multiple digital radio frequency, memory-based jamming system."
Viper Shield demonstrated interoperability with the APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar during testing at the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration Lab in late 2022, the company says.
Now that the CDR milestone has been achieved, Viper Shield will go back to the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration Lab to "demonstrate full integration of the next planned increment of capabilities with the F-16 Block 70/72 FMS aircraft," the statement adds.
