EW suite for USAF F-16 fighter aircraft fleet leverages open-system approach
NewsJanuary 12, 2021
FALLS CHURCH, Va. Northrop Grumman has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to complete the final project efforts to provide the electronic warfare (EW) suite for its F-16 V (Viper) fighter aircraft fleet; the suite of tools, say Northrop Grumman officials, will protect pilots from the growing danger of radio frequency-guided weapons by detecting, identifying, and defeating advanced threat systems.
According to a news release announcing the contract, the Northrop Grumman EW system provides full-spectrum radar warning, threat identification, and advanced countermeasure capabilities and has demonstrated pulse-to-pulse operability with the F-16’s newly acquired AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), a system that is also built by Northrop Grumman. Additionally, say company officials, the EW suite leverages an open systems, ultra wideband architecture that enables users to access greater instantaneous bandwidth.
Ryan Tintner, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman, said of the Air Force contract: “The electronic warfare suite will significantly increase protection to F-16 operators as they execute their missions in increasingly contested environments. This system draws on the best of our experience from multiple programs to create an effective and affordable solution to keep the Viper relevant throughout its service life.”
