L3Harris begins low-volume production of the Viper Shield electronic warfare system for the US Air Force's F-16 fighter jets.

L3Harris Technologies is an American defense industry company operating in the fields of electronics and information technology. It was formed in 2019 through the merger of Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies.

L3Harris ranked 206th among the largest US companies by revenue in 2022 (Fortune 500 list). L3Harris ranked 445th on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world's largest public companies for 2022. In 2021, the company ranked 10th in the world by military sales (which accounted for 84% of revenue).

L3Harris announced this week that the company's Viper Shield electronic warfare system for the F-16 fighter jet has received approval from the U.S. Air Force to begin low-rate production, with first deliveries expected by the end of next year.

Travis Rule, CEO of L3Harris Technologies, told Breaking Defense on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow:

Recently the complex EW Viper Shield has passed its so-called production readiness check, allowing the program to transition to low-rate production. The company plans to reach full production by the first quarter of next year.

The hardware will not be changed; it is already installed for the customer,

— Rule stated in his interview, emphasizing that all production processes have been launched.

So we're very excited because it means we're getting closer to the point where we can start delivering systems.

L3Harris plans to deliver the first batch of Viper Shield kits in December 2026, Rule continued. This is the first of 219 systems ordered by the company. The system will be delivered to seven international customers, including Bahrain, which will receive new aircraft, and Poland, which will upgrade existing ones. A total of 168 kits will be installed on new Lockheed Martin Block 70/72 fighters destined for export, and 51 kits will be installed on existing aircraft. According to Travis Rule, deliveries will be made "for about a year and a half".

The Viper Shield system, like other electronic warfare systems, provides fighter jets with self-protection against electromagnetic spectrum threats, featuring features such as a radar receiver and the ability to jam enemy radars. This suite is a modernized version of legacy electronic warfare systems, updated to more effectively respond to the rapidly evolving electromagnetic spectrum threats that dominated the battlefield in regions like Ukraine.

Travis Rule also reported that L3Harris also plans to offer the Viper Shield in a pod configuration, initially for the F-16, and then explore the possibility of using it on other aircraft. He added that L3Harris is in discussions with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) companies about offering the Viper Shield as both an internal aircraft system and a pod.

We built it with the ability to be upgraded,

"Travis Rule said, citing talks with Lockheed about implementing new features such as "operationally relevant direction finding and geolocation", among other things.

You'll be able to add capabilities gradually, so you'll be developing them over time with minimal risk, rather than trying to do one thing at a time, which can be challenging in the EW world.

While the latest development directly impacts foreign air forces, L3Harris and Ruhl himself are not shy about pursuing their core ambition: displacing the Pentagon's primary contractor, Northrop Grumman, as the supplier of electronic warfare kits to upgrade the U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter jets.

Travis Rule argues that L3Harris has an advantage over Northrop because it can leverage funds spent by other countries on the system's development and accelerate the process, as the Viper Shield is already in production. Northrop, for its part, has reportedly stated its readiness to begin production of its F-16 electronic warfare system, dubbed IVEWS, with funding from the fiscal year 2026 budget, once it is approved.

In response, Travis Rule acknowledged that the US Air Force would have to join the ranks of countries already in line for the Viper Shield, stating: "You'll have to balance it out."However, he added that now that the production process has been streamlined, all that remains is to scale up.

So, will it be instant? No, but the US Air Force could have the systems in the near future, by the end of 2027. And even sooner, depending on how we balance all the needs.

- he said.

Shortly after Travis Rule's interview with Breaking Defense, L3Harris announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with EDGE Group to collaborate on developing defense technology solutions in the UAE. According to the press release, the agreement includes "a framework for joint research and development in the field of artificial intelligence and autonomy, as well as for the implementation of these technologies".

Comments

[dragon772]

Electronic warfare is needed for all aircraft, this is not even up for discussion.

[rosomaha]

We boast so much about our ground-based electronic warfare systems, but there are very few airborne ones. We don't hear about their modernization or new developments, and most importantly, how they are used (what carriers, their effectiveness).

[gridasov]

All this rhetoric is needed for the masses who don't understand the principles underlying electronic warfare and the components used in their devices. And they all have similar, fundamentally similar parameters. Therefore, it's necessary to change the basic operating principles, primarily the disturbance inductors and the pulse interruption frequency. To do this, it's important to understand that self-induction limits everything—the higher the current and disturbance induction parameters, the greater the parasitic effects. Therefore, we need to understand where to look for solutions. In short, we need to work with the density of magnetic force processes.

[rosomaha]

Today, FB commented on electronic warfare...everything fell into place...partially. https://vk.com/wall-182816816_92382

[NordOst16]

If only I knew what of his works is true, what is self-inflicted, and what content he was paid for.

[rosomaha]

but here's what I thought...can an aircraft now escape or take cover from a paired launch of an air-to-air missile or a SAM with an act/pass (on an electronic warfare beam) homing head operating from an ambush (when it can't escape the attack zone)?

[rosomaha]

When all hope lies in electronic warfare, whether it will suppress or divert the missile, but when the electronic warfare system is turned on, it activates the missile's seeker pass channel, homing in on the jamming source. And the missile still heads for the aircraft. The best option is to shoot down the missiles: maneuvering and speed are unavoidable, and electronic warfare won't suppress them, but will instead attract the missile. A new concept for a defense system is needed, an active one at that, like an active protection system for a tank.

[Alexandra]

You asked above "And now the aircraft can escape or take cover from a paired launch of air-to-air missiles or SAMs with an act/pass (on the EW beam) homing head."

One towed and several retractable active radar decoys (jammers) will most likely get away. But such decoys are used in real combat by more than just all the world's air forces. I'm particularly talking about the retractable ones.

[bk0010]

Quote: rosomaha

n activates the missile's homing head's pass channel to direct it toward the jamming source

Since the Su-27, electronic warfare doesn't just suppress the signal, it creates dozens of targets for the missile. Target it as best you can.

[rosomaha]

but nevertheless our aviation does not go overboard...they strike from a distance and run from the affected area.

[AdAstra]

"Viper Shield" - viper shield or viper shield?

[gridasov]

Does anyone understand that electronic warfare is a field of power engineering for generating electromagnetic pulses? THIS is the level of technology that lies between the level of energy provided by electronic devices and technologies and the technology of directed electromagnetic radiation.