The Viper Shield system is officially included in the order for 25 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets placed last year by the Royal Armed Forces (FAR). The news was announced on the evening of Thursday, June 27, by the United States Department of Defense.
It is Lockheed Martin, American defense giant and manufacturer of the F-16 Block 70/72, which will also be responsible for the production of the Viper Shield devices, better known as the electronic warfare system (Electronic Warfare, EW).
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Delivery will be made to five countries in total, namely Morocco, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Taiwan. The amount of the order, the work of which is expected to be completed by June 30, 2028, amounts to $520 million.
An “electronic shield”
Building on the success of existing electronic warfare systems from American manufacturer L3Harris, the Viper Shield system provides an electronic shield around the aircraft, allowing pilots to safely complete their missions in increasingly combat scenarios. more complex.
«Its modern, fully digital architecture improves system performance, reduces its size and weight, and facilitates future upgrades.“, claims the American firm specializing in the defense and telecommunications sector.
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Furthermore, “Viper Shield’s software-defined technology components enable unprecedented digital radar threat warning and robust digital countermeasures capabilities in a fully integrated, in-aircraft mounted system», explains L3Harris, adding that “The system’s open design allows for seamless addition of combat-proven electronic warfare applications, providing a cutting-edge capability to address emerging and future threats».
