Branson Brooks
L3Harris Technologies performed hardware and software testing, dubbed Drop 4, on its new Viper Shield Electronic Warfare System to advance operational awareness for F-16 pilots.
The AN/ALQ-254(V)1 Viper Shield suite locates and exposes threats, sorting them in contested environments, the Melbourne, Florida-based company said Wednesday.
U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Rigoni, the EW program manager of the F-16 System Program Office, said, “Viper Shield demonstrated radar warning receiver functionality in dense background radio frequency environments, and successfully detected, identified, sorted and cued multiple threats.”
The Viper Shield Drop 4 system harnesses the appropriate hardware to work in tandem with all F-16 systems. The EW system also introduced the Countermeasures Dispensing System, which provides an upgraded, interactive application for dispensing chaff and flares from the aircraft.
Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris, said Viper Shield is a defensive system that can advance fighter pilots’ capabilities.
“Viper Shield is a virtual electronic armor that will improve the ability of F-16 fighter pilots to detect threats earlier so they can defend themselves and utilize that data to increase their survivability,” Zoiss stated. “We will continue to refine and advance this system for warfighters globally.”
Viper Shield works in conjunction with the APG-83 Actively Electronically Scanned Array radar, is reportedly functional in offensive and defensive scenarios and is meant to act as the foundational EW technology for the international F-16 70/72 block.
