Northrop Grumman has begun fielding two F-16 aircraft fitted with its Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) and Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) AESA radar, systems the company says are designed to coordinate radar and electronic warfare (EW) functions and improve the platform’s ability to operate in contested electromagnetic environments.
The company describes IVEWS as an ultra-wideband EW suite built to detect, identify and counter rapidly changing, mobile threats. SABR is an active electronically scanned array radar that Northrop Grumman says was engineered to operate concurrently with IVEWS on the same radio-frequency spectrum without degrading radar performance.
“Dominating the electromagnetic spectrum paves the way for all other operations,” James Conroy, vice president of electronic warfare and targeting at Northrop Grumman, said. “In these high-stakes environments, having systems that work together is a significant advantage that allows warfighters to operate safely and effectively in the highly contested airspace of a near-peer fight.”
According to the company, the two systems communicate digitally on a pulse-to-pulse basis so each is aware of which portion of the spectrum the other is using at every moment, allowing pilots to conduct intense radar tasks while IVEWS manages countermeasures. The release adds there is no filtering, blanking or reduction of radar capability while IVEWS protects the aircraft.
IVEWS was selected by the U.S. Air Force in 2019 and has completed an Operational Assessment that included more than 70 sorties in complex electromagnetic environments, the company said. Lt. Col. Christopher B. James, deputy division chief for F-16 USAF programs, noted the assessment’s results and the system’s initial flight record: “Our USAF F-16 System Program Office, in collaboration with our Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Eglin’s OFP/CTF and Terma partners, has successfully completed the IVEWS Operational Assessment with excellent results...Not only did the system perform well, but it also worked during its first flight on two aircraft, which is unprecedented for a complex and fully integrated electronic warfare system.”
Northrop Grumman also reported that SABR deliveries exceed 900 units since 2013, and that IVEWS-equipped aircraft have accumulated more than 250 flight hours. The company said both systems were developed and built in the United States and are available to support the global fleet of approximately 2,800 F-16 aircraft.
The announcement frames the integration of radar and EW capabilities as a response to changing threats that can emerge during flight and shift frequencies rapidly. Observers will likely examine how the upgrades affect interoperability with existing F-16 avionics and how export customers assess the system for their own fleets.