To protect the venerable F-16 fighter from modern electronic threats, Northrop Grumman has deployed its AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) with a series of intelligence-validated emulators from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. countered the “attack” of (live) test system.
When it first flew in the early 1970s, General Dynamics’ F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter had a skeptical reputation as a fighter. Half a century later, he turned out to be one of the Cold War’s most successful fighters. With 4,600 built, it has evolved into a versatile aircraft with variants still being built for the export market.
However, such success comes with its own price. Part of the F-16’s cost is that the airframe that debuted in the ’70s has to deal with his 2020s threat. This means offering a constant stream of upgrades, including new measures that can be retrofitted to existing aircraft.
IVEWS is a complete digital system based on a secure, modular and open design for creating receivers/exciters capable of rapidly responding to electronic attacks across the ultra-wide band of the electromagnetic spectrum coming from all directions.
To test its effectiveness, engineers connected IVEWS to a LIVE system. The latter sent simulated air defense radar pulses directly into her IVEWS to realistically recreate the effects of an electronic attack. It may seem like a bit of cheating, but using a direct feed instead of going through a radar antenna or other sensor is a common practice that allows engineers to eliminate all but the most important variables for testing. is.
James Conroy, Vice President of Navigation, Targeting and Survivability at Northrop Grumman, said: “The success of this evaluation under extremely difficult conditions is an important step towards operationalizing the suite.”
Source: Northrop Grumman
