L3Harris is on pace to equip the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft with the most advanced electronic warfare (ADVEW) technologies available, helping keep naval aviators ahead of emerging threats and out of harm’s way for years to come. The company recently conducted Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for ADVEW system prototype, designed to provide F/A-18 jets with state-of-the-art countermeasures to complete their mission in an environment where threats and adversaries are becoming more sophisticated. We’re now aiming for Prototype System Integration Lab Testing this summer.
This PDR latest milestone is part of a $80 million contract with the U.S. Navy, and builds on L3Harris’ two-decade legacy of delivering advanced EW systems to the F/A-18. L3Harris’ EW solutions area already successfully integrated on today’s F/A-18. L3Harris integrated defensive electronic countermeasures (IDECM) AN/ALQ-214 on-board jammer (OBJ) helps protect the aircraft and crews against advanced radio frequency (RF) threats and sophisticated integrated air defense systems. L3Harris has received more than $2 billion in awards to date from the Naval Air Systems Command for AN/ALQ-214 development and production.
The AN/ALQ-214 IDECM OBJ is the next-generation radio frequency (RF) integrated countermeasure system. The legacy (V)3 version is currently deployed on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F aircraft to provide self-protection. The current (V)4/5 version, which replaces the (V)3 version, provides enhanced capability for U.S. Navy F/A-18C/D/E/F aircraft in a smaller and lighter form factor. Additionally, the (V)4/5 modular open system architecture (MOSA)-compliant design allows for technology insertion, enabling air superiority against the ever-evolving threats. The AN/ALQ-214(V)4/5 is the most advanced self-protection jammer system deployed in the world today.
The IDECM AN/ALQ-214 OBJ features autonomous operations within hostile environments to protect aircrew and aircraft against advanced radio frequency (RF) threats. The system is designed to counter RF guided threats with proven electronic countermeasures (ECM) techniques that deny, disrupt, delay and degrade launch and engagement sequences. Each threat is identified, prioritized, countered and displayed to the aircrew for situational awareness as well as self-protection. The IDECM AN/ALQ-214 utilizes a modular and reprogrammable system to provide theater specific configurations.
