Northrop Grumman Corporation’s 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 a series of 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. The AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) is designed to give F-16 electronic warfare capabilities on a par with fifth-generation aircraft, significantly enhancing survivability for operations in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments.
James Conroy, vice president, 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.”
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 around the world.”
The AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) can detect, identify and counter advanced radio frequency threats, including millimeter 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. The AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS is designed to give F-16 electronic warfare (EW) capabilities on a par with fifth-generation aircraft, significantly enhancing survivability for operations in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments. Northrop Grumman’s ultra-wideband suite can detect, identify and counter advanced radio frequency threats, including millimeter wave systems. The only electronic warfare Program of Record for the U.S. Air Force F-16 fleet, IVEWS is also available for export.
IVEWS’s pulse-to-pulse interoperability with the Viper’s advanced AN/APG-83 SABR AESA radar provides capability without compromise — no filtering, no blackouts, and no diminished protection or targeting capability. The result is advanced survivability without compromising the Viper’s lethal bite. Flying in Exercise Northern Lightning, IVEWS was put to the test in a dense and demanding electromagnetic spectrum environment featuring multiple advanced ground emitters and more than 20 airborne radars. Hitting more than 170 test points, IVEWS and SABR didn’t miss a beat — operating seamlessly together throughout the exercise. The advanced protections built into IVEWS are not limited to fighter aircraft. Northrop Grumman has products with its electronic warfare architecture that makes it possible for aircraft of all sizes, from unmanned aircraft up to airlifters, to execute missions safely in contested spectrum environments.
