DUBAI, UAE—An upgraded electronic warfare suite for F-16 fighter jets, called Viper Shield, will give the jets the ability to detect multiple enemies at once by late 2025. The system is being developed by L3Harris for international customers of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 jets, with 166 systems being built for five international customers. The Viper Shield is designed to identify modern radar systems, provide situational awareness, and provide self-protection through electronic countermeasures.
Lockheed Martin is under pressure from Congress to speed up deliveries of F-16 jets to Taiwan and is upgrading Taiwan’s current fleet of 139 F-16s with Viper Shield and Northrop Grumman’s active electronically scanned array radar. The new electronic warfare suite was designed to integrate with the Northrop-made radar.
As Lockheed increases F-16 production, L3Harris plans to “build up” to producing eight Viper Shield systems per month. The company is also looking at other fighters and platforms for the new EW suite.
