USAF Unveils F-16 Electronic Warfare Upgrade Plan

[element1loop]

I couldn't see where this had been posted yet (apologies if it already was):

USAF Unveils F-16 Electronic Warfare Upgrade Plan

Jan 10, 2019 Steve Trimble | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

F-16: USAF

A newly-launched prototyping program could lead to a fleet-wide electronic warfare upgrade for the U.S. Air Force’s more than 900 F-16s.

The proposed upgrades could include a full suite of passive and active systems, including a digital radar warning receiver, self-protection jammer and towed decoy, acquisition documents released on Jan. 3 by the Air Force Research Laboratory say.

Although once expected to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35, the Air Force now wants to make sure the single-engined F-16 fleet is relevant up to 2046.

In December, the Air Force briefed industry officials on a 15-year-long upgrade strategy that begins with a prototyping phase this year.

The Air Force wants to select two vendors to build prototypes of a digital radar warning receiver with increased frequency bandwidth and an enhanced capability to detect the position of radio frequency emitters.

If the prototypes are successful, the Air Force plans to begin fielding the new upgraded emissions detector starting at the end of 2021.

Two years later, the Air Force could extend the upgrade to active electronic warfare systems, including a new, internally-mounted self-protection jammer and upgraded towed decoy.

The Air Force’s acquisition strategy calls for using prototypes rather than the traditional acquisition process in order to cut 4 1/2 years from the development process, the service says.

>>Paywall

http://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf-un ... grade-plan