The F-16 Fighter is Now a True 'Viper' Thanks To Some Big Upgrades

What You Need To Know: The U.S. Air Force recently tested the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) on an F-16, marking a leap in the jet’s defenses against modern threats. Dubbed the “Viper” suite, IVEWS enhances the F-16’s ability to detect, counter, and survive in contested electromagnetic environments, nearly matching fifth-generation fighter capabilities.

-Developed by Northrop Grumman, IVEWS promises versatility across multiple airframes, signaling broader applicability beyond the F-16.

-Tested at the Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Sensors (J-PRIMES) facility, IVEWS has demonstrated its potential to protect U.S. and international F-16 fleets well into the future.

F-16 “Viper” Gets Stealth Upgrade: New Electronic Warfare Suite Tested

Though the F-16 is officially designated the "Fighting Falcon," many of its pilots and crews have nicknamed the multirole aircraft the "Viper" – due to its resemblance to the snake, as well as that to the "Colonial Viper" fighter from the late 1970's TV series Battlestar Galactica, which first aired as the aircraft entered service.

It is thus fitting that the U.S. Air Force's F-16 could be equipped with the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS), which was developed to provide the Fighting Falcon with electronic warfare (EW) capabilities that are nearly equal to those of fifth-generation fighters.

According to aerospace firm Northrop Grumman, which helped develop IVEWS, it "significantly [enhances] survivability for operations in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments."

Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) announced that an F-16 assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted a test flight with the IVEWS last month.

"The success of this flight is a testament to the entire team working on this program," said Lt. Col. Stepeh Graham, F-16 Electronic Warfare test director and pilot of the inaugural flight involving an IVEWS. "Integrating a system at this level typically takes a long time, but thanks to the incredible people involved, we achieved this success quickly."

Graham said that the EW suite would allow it to counter modern threats, and credits the multiple pilots, engineers, and technicians that helped pave the way for last month's test flight.

"This was a collaborative effort between the government, contractors, and major Air Force commands," added Graham. "Everyone has put in significant effort to make this program the best it can be."

Beyond the F-16

The IVEWS was developed to enhance the F-16's EW capabilities, but it could be used in other aircraft.

"This technology can be implemented on almost any airframe," said Lt. Col. Joseph Gagnon, 85th TES commander, who further highlighted the broader implications of the IVEWS program, and emphasized the versatility of the Viper EW suite. "We are creating a force multiplier not just for the F-16, but for any platform."

Last month, Northrop Grumman also completed the test of the suite at the service's Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Sensors (J-PRIMES) facility. During that time, the EW suite was put through a series of tests, which demonstrated the platform's "ability to detect, identify and counter advanced radio frequency threats while operating safely with other F-16 systems," and that paved the way for the in-flight testing carried out at Elgin AFB.

"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," said James Conroy, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman.

IVEWS was selected as a U.S. program of record for the F-16 electronic warfare suite in 2019. It could ensure that the multirole fighter, which first took flight more than five decades ago, will be able to strike against aerial threats for years to come.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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