Revolutionizing Warfare: Northrop Grumman’s F-16 Suite Battles Cutting-Edge Radio Frequency Threats in Air Force Trials
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) has accomplished U.S. Air Force Laboratory Intelligence Validated Emulator (LIVE) assessment. The system surpassed numerous standards and showcased the capability to counter contemporary radio frequency (RF) threats. This marked the inaugural instance of the ultra-wideband architecture in IVEWS undergoing LIVE evaluation.
“As sophisticated radio frequency threats continue to expand, the defense provided by IVEWS is crucial,” stated James Conroy, vice president of navigation, targeting, and survivability at Northrop Grumman. “This successful assessment under demanding circumstances is a vital advancement towards deploying the suite.”
During the evaluation, simulated air defense radar pulses were introduced directly into IVEWS to confirm the suite’s capability to identify and neutralize advanced threats. The signals utilized in LIVE evaluation are validated models that offer realistic simulations of radio frequency threats. LIVE serves as an intelligence-validated, closed-loop RF direct-injection threat radar emulator based on threat specifications and characteristics. It enables the examination of electronic warfare systems in authentic conditions.
Completely digital and based on secure, modular, open systems design methodologies, the receiver/exciter framework in IVEWS provides considerable benefits over legacy systems. This innovation permits extensive frequency coverage, complete spatial coverage, and more prompt reactions. Featuring highly efficient broadband power amplifiers and adaptive countermeasure modulations, it is engineered to detect, identify, locate, and neutralize next-generation sensors and armaments.
IVEWS is a record-keeping electronic warfare suite for the U.S. Air Force F-16 fleet. The system is adaptable for both current and prior generations of F-16 aircraft.
