Polish F‑16s get cutting-edge upgrade to rival 5th‑gen jets

Poland currently operates 48 F-16C/D aircraft in the Block 50+/52+ version, also known as the Advanced Block 50/52. At the time of purchase, these aircraft were very advanced, but after two decades, their avionics do not compare to today's solutions.

In October 2024, Poland received approval from the State Department to upgrade the Falcons under MLU to the standard offered by the F-16V version. This upgrade is expected to cost up to 7.3 billion dollars.

Thanks to this upgrade, Polish aircraft will maintain the capability to counter advanced adversarial aircraft for many years to come.

One essential component of the F-16, and many other combat aircraft, is the electronic warfare system (EWS). Currently, Polish jets are fitted with the AN/ALQ-211 AIDEWS (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System), developed by L3 Harris.

This system is primarily designed for aircraft self-defense. It alerts the pilot to radar signals, has a library of enemy radar signatures, and enables active jamming.

In March 2011, the Ministry of Defense announced the acquisition of this system. The Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Mieczysław Cieniuch, made the statement at the time.

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

This system features the AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS (Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite) developed by Northrop Grumman. The manufacturer recently announced the successful completion of operational-style tests for its EWS system.

The tests were carried out on two F-16 Block 50 aircraft, which completed 70 flights, spending over 100 hours in the air. During these flights, system trials were conducted for various tasks, such as air combat, ground target attacks, and mixed-profile missions.

In these trials, the AN/ALQ-257 IVEWS proved its effectiveness by detecting and countering threats from modern air defense systems. A crucial test area was the system's interaction with the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), a key component of new F-16s. The 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 capabilities comparable to 5th-generation aircraft and offers both detection and neutralization of threats over a 360-degree range.

IVEWS is the second advanced EWS for the F-16 to have recently completed a series of successful tests. In November 2024, L3 Harris conducted successful trials with a competing system, the AN/ALQ-254 Viper Shield.

The AN/ALQ-254 is also designed to integrate with the AN/APG-83 SABR radar. Viper Shield can detect, identify, and neutralize various threats, such as hostile anti-aircraft systems, incoming missiles, or enemy aircraft.

Viper Shield is available and tested in two variants: as an integral part of the aircraft's avionics and as a pod that can be mounted on one of the F-16’s hardpoints.

According to their developers, both new EWS systems are expected to provide older aircraft with entirely new capabilities. They are significant enough that once the F-16s—a design over 50 years old—are equipped with these systems, they are considered comparable to 5th-generation aircraft.

These comparisons likely involve some marketing, as older designs were developed with different assumptions, have different engines, and their airframes are not optimized for stealth.

However, stealth capabilities can be partially achieved not only by the shape of the airframe (an extreme example being the F-117, a less aggressive one being the F-35 or B-21) or radar-absorbing coatings but through "electronic stealth," systems that disrupt enemy radar operations.

Both IVEWS and Viper Shield are such systems—capable of integrating with the advanced SABR radar, defending their carrier, and engaging in offensive operations, such as neutralizing hostile anti-aircraft systems and clearing paths through enemy airspace.

It is worth noting that in 5th-generation machines—like the F-35—similar capabilities are integrated into the aircraft's avionics, allowing it to perform as an electronic warfare machine in its base configuration.

Before the F-35, specialized aircraft were necessary for electronic warfare roles. In the U.S. Air Force, these included F-16s with suitable pods, and for the Navy, designs like the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, retired in 2015, or the currently operated Boeing EA-18G Growler.

European aircraft, such as the Eurofighter, are also expected to gain similar capabilities soon. Saab has developed the Arexis electronic warfare system for this aircraft, and Germany has already ordered the first pods.

This development, combined with the integration of AGM-88E AARGM missiles with Eurofighters, will allow Germany to retire older, specialized Panavia Tornado ECR aircraft and use Eurofighters for electronic warfare and air defense missions. Polish F-35s, or after modernization, F-16s with IVEWS or Viper Shield systems, will also be capable of such roles.