L3Harris plans to deliver Viper Shield for F-16s to international customers by late 2025. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
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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