1 September 2024

U.S. Arms Ukraine’s F-16 Fighters With Cutting-Edge EW System In Record Time; Ex-Air Marshal Explains Its Use

Sakshi Tiwari

A key US Air Force unit reprogrammed the electronic warfare (EW) system of the F-16 combat jets delivered to Ukraine, enhancing the protection of Fighting Falcons against contemporary and evolving Russian threats.

In early August, Ukraine received the first batch of F-16s from NATO partners.

“F-16s in Ukraine. We did it,” President Zelensky said at an unidentified base with two F-16s on his sides. These aircraft were observed equipped with a series of specialized pylons, indicating that they were outfitted with certain self-defense electronic warfare measures. However, that’s not the whole story.

The US Air Force (USAF) bolstered the EW capabilities of these combat aircraft. The 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing of the U.S. Air Force, which includes the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron (EWS), spearheaded the reprogramming operation in coordination with its counterparts in Denmark and Norway, according to a press release published by the wing on August 26.

The service emphasized the importance of Electronic Warfare in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating that both Russia’s and Ukraine’s armed forces rely heavily on unfettered access to the electromagnetic spectrum to achieve their objectives and have continuously employed EW tactics, such as spoofing and jamming, to obtain spectrum superiority.

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