Northrop Grumman Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suit

More than 2,000 F-16 aircraft are flying worldwide; state-of-the-art electronic warfare will allow them to maintain relevance for years to come

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) has completed U.S. Air Force testing in the service’s Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Sensors (J-PRIMES) facility.

   During rigorous tests, AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS was subjected to accurate representations of complex radio frequency spectrum threats in the J-PRIMES anechoic chamber.

   The system demonstrated the ability to detect, identify and counter advanced radio frequency threats while operating safely with other F-16 systems.

   The successful completion of this regimen allows AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS to begin flight testing on Air Force F-16 aircraft.

Northrop Grumman Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite Cleared for Flight Testing

The AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) uses an ultra-wideband architecture to counter advanced radio frequency threats. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

Experts:       

U.S. Air Force Colonel Michael Rigoni, director, F-16 International Electronic Warfare Systems: “J-PRIMES marks the culmination of three years of extensive U.S. government IVEWS system-level testing that’s encompassed multiple Integration Demonstrations and Applications Lab (IDAL) events, flight demonstration on a surrogate platform during NORTHERN LIGHTNING 2021, Laboratory Intelligent Validated Emulator (LIVE) closed-loop testing and full integration into the Hill Air Force Base F-16 Block 50 avionics system integration lab. I am optimistic the upcoming operational assessment flight test events will yield positive results and look forward to seeing this important capability continue to mature for U.S. and international F-16 operators worldwide.”

James Conroy, vice president, of navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman: “Building on multiple IDAL events, flight demonstration on a surrogate platform and LIVE closed-loop testing, this successful completion of J-PRIMES testing confirms the maturity of IVEWS and its readiness to protect the U.S. and international F-16 fleets.”

Details:

The AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) is designed to give F-16 electronic warfare capabilities on par with fifth-generation aircraft, significantly enhancing survivability for operations in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments. Its ultra-wideband suite can detect, identify and counter advanced radio frequency threats, including millimetre wave systems. IVEWS’s full pulse-to-pulse interoperability with the AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radar provides capability without compromise. It was selected as the U.S. program of record for F-16 electronic warfare in 2019.