Viper Shield electronic warfare suite for F-16s enters low-rate initial production
L3Harris plans to deliver Viper Shield for F-16s to international customers by late 2025. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The L3Harris Viper Shield is seen as a key component in keeping the newest generation of F-16s up to date and providing a retrofit capability to earlier aircraft.
L3Harris’ Viper Shield AN/ALQ-254(V)1 electronic warfare (EW) suite for Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighter aircraft has entered low-rate initial production following completion of its Production Readiness Review. Full-rate production is expected in the first three months of 2026.
The all-digital system, which is either integrated with the aircraft or fitted as a pod, has been custom designed to be the baseline on advanced F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft. The company already has seven customers for the system, with Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris, confirming “a new pod customer is expected soon”.
Through the process, Viper Shield demonstrated a level of
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