Poland advances aerial defence with cutting-edge F‑16 upgrades

Poland currently operates 48 F-16C/D aircraft in the Block 50+/52+ version (also known as Advanced Block 50/52). At the time of purchase, these were very modern machines, but after two decades, their avionics no longer match the solutions used in aircraft produced today.

Therefore, in October 2024, Poland obtained approval from the State Department to upgrade - under MLU - Falcons to the standard offered by the F-16V version, which is expected to cost a maximum of $7.3 (€6.4) billion.

Thanks to this solution, Polish aircraft will maintain the ability to combat the most modern machines of potential adversaries for many years to come.

One of the components of the F-16, as well as many other combat aircraft, is the electronic warfare system (EWS). Polish machines are currently equipped with the AN/ALQ-211 AIDEWS (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System) developed by L3 Harris.

It is primarily intended for aircraft self-defence - it warns the pilot against radar illumination, has a library of enemy radar signatures, and allows for their active jamming.

In March 2011, the Ministry of Defence boasted about purchasing this system – the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Mieczysław Cieniuch, stated at the time:

Although the AN/ALQ-211 AIDEWS systems are still modern and continue to be ordered (alongside the newer AN/ALQ-254 Viper Shield, purchased by, among others, Taiwan for its F-16Vs and Slovakia), Poland decided to replace them with an even more advanced solution – one of the two most modern electronic warfare systems designed for the F-16 worldwide.

This includes the AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS (Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite) developed by Northrop Grumman. The manufacturer recently announced the completion of tests of its EWS system, conducted in conditions close to operational ones.

The tests were conducted on two F-16 Block 50 aircraft, which completed 70 flights, spending over 100 hours in the air. During this time, system trials were conducted while performing various tasks, such as air combat, ground target attacks, or mixed-profile missions.

During the trials, AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS proved its effectiveness by detecting and combating threats from, among others, modern air defence systems. A crucial part of the tests was the examination of the system's cooperation with the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which is a key component of new F-16s. Integration is facilitated by the fact that both IVEWS and SABR are produced by Northrop Grumman.

According to the manufacturer, the AN/ALQ-257 system provides the carrier with capabilities similar to 5th-generation aircraft and offers both detection and neutralisation of threats in a 360-degree range.

IVEWS is the second – in just the last few months – advanced EWS for the F-16 that has successfully completed a series of tests. In November 2024, L3 Harris conducted a successful series of trials with a competing solution – the AN/ALQ-254 Viper Shield system.

The AN/ALQ-254 is also designed to cooperate with the AN/APG-83 SABR radar. Viper Shield allows for the detection, identification, and neutralisation of various threats, such as hostile anti-aircraft systems, incoming missiles, or enemy aircraft.

Viper Shield is offered and tested in two variants – as an integral part of the aircraft, connected to its avionics, and as a pod that can be mounted on one of the F-16’s hardpoints.

According to their creators, both new EWS systems are expected to provide older aircraft with entirely new capabilities. They will be significant enough that once F-16s – a design over 50 years old – are equipped with these systems, they are compared to 5th-generation aircraft.

These comparisons likely contain much marketing – older designs were developed under entirely different assumptions; they have different engines, and their airframe is not optimised for stealth features.

However, these features can be partially achieved not only by carefully shaping the airframe (an extreme example being the F-117, a less radical one – the F-35 or B-21) or coatings absorbing radio waves but through "electronic stealth," i.e., systems that disrupt enemy radar operations.

Both IVEWS and Viper Shield are such solutions – systems that cooperate with the advanced SABR radar, capable not only of defending their carrier but also engaging in offensive operations, such as neutralising hostile anti-aircraft systems and paving the way for the aircraft through enemy airspace.

It is worth noting that in the case of 5th-generation machines – like the F-35 – similar capabilities are offered by the aircraft's onboard avionics, which in its base configuration can perform the role of an electronic warfare machine.

Before its service introduction, specialised aircraft were necessary for this role. In the case of the US Air Force, these were F-16s with suitable pods, and in the case of the Navy – designs such as the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, retired in 2015, or the currently operated Boeing EA-18G Growler.

European aircraft – like the Eurofighter – are also expected to gain similar capabilities soon. The Arexis electronic warfare system for this type of machine was developed by Saab, and the first pods have already been ordered by Germany.

In combination with the integration of AGM-88E AARGM missiles with Eurofighters, this will allow Germany to retire older, specialised versions of Panavia Tornado ECR aircraft and use Eurofighters as electronic warfare and air defence penetration machines. Polish F-35s, or – after modernisation – F-16s with IVEWS or Viper Shield systems will be able to perform a similar role.