L3Harris Technologies’ Viper Shield electronic warfare (EW) system has undergone its first flight on a Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighter, with deliveries of the self-protection equipment to begin before year-end.
Conducted using a single-seat aircraft of the Royal Bahraini Air Force, the milestone sortie was completed from Edwards AFB in California by a test pilot from the US Air Force’s 412th Test Wing.
“The flight included a series of risk-reduction tests related to the mission computer and other avionic subsystems compatibility, as well as interoperability with the [Northrop Grumman] APG-83 active electronically scanned array fire control radar,” L3Harris says.
The company describes Viper Shield as a “low-risk, low-cost system that counters modern radar threats with immediate detection and advanced jamming responses”.
Due to enter operational use from next year, it will equip new-build Block 70/72-standard F-16s being produced for six nations: Bahrain, Bulgaria, Jordan, Morocco, Slovakia and Taiwan.
“The Viper Shield system combined with a Block 70 airframe creates a leap in capability compared to the traditional Block 50 Viper I grew up flying,” notes USAF experimental test pilot Major Anthony Pipe. “The EW advancements this system brings will ensure pilots flying these aircraft continue to make it home.”
“With this milestone, we are ready to continue flight testing and deliver systems in late 2025,” says L3Harris Space and Airborne Systems president Ed Zoiss.
In addition to protecting Lockheed’s current production-standard fighter, the technology also is being offered for integration with in-service examples via an upgrade path.
“Viper Shield will integrate across all F-16 Blocks with minimal modifications to the aircraft, and is fully configurable with both the current mission modular computer and the next generation mission computer,” L3Harris notes.
