The US Air Force’s 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing has successfully reprogrammed electronic warfare systems for F-16 fighter jets being transferred to Ukraine, as reported by the US Department of Defense’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
“Both Ukraine and Russia’s militaries heavily rely on unfettered access to the electromagnetic spectrum to achieve commander objectives and both sides have continuously engaged in EW through techniques such as jamming and spoofing throughout the war to achieve spectrum superiority,” the Service wrote.
This collaborative effort, involving Danish and Norwegian counterparts, aims to enhance Ukraine’s EW capabilities in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. The project was initiated following the announcement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the NATO Public Forum regarding the delivery of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine.
The 68th EWS, known for its expertise in Electronic Warfare, faced a unique challenge in reprogramming unfamiliar systems within a tight timeline.
“Most reprogramming centers would have said ‘no way’ when approaching this challenge; it’s uncharted policy,” said the 68th EWS chief engineer. “We looked at each other and we said, ‘If not us, then who? We’re the best people to do this.'”
DVIDS says the squadron assembled a team of experienced experts and young engineers who worked to understand and reprogram the unfamiliar EW system. They utilized data provided by Denmark and Norway and even sent members overseas to work directly with partner nations in their labs.
The collaboration has led to improvements in reprogramming processes for all parties involved. With Ukraine now being onboarded as an official foreign military sales case for the 68th EWS, the unit will continue to provide reprogramming capabilities based on feedback from actual combat situations.
“When you’re talking about a near-peer conflict, you need all of your coalition partners to operate with the same playbook so you can achieve spectrum dominance,” stated the 68th EWS director. “One F-16 with a reprogrammed pod won’t achieve air dominance alone, but it may give you a pocket of air superiority for a moment’s time to achieve an objective that has strategic importance and impact.”
DVIDS did not mention which electronic warfare system is in question. The Ukrainian military portal Militarnyi says it is known that Danish and Dutch aircraft were equipped with AN/ALQ-131 and AN/ALQ-10 (Danish version AN/ALQ-162) systems. In particular, AN/ALQ-162 systems were integrated into ECIPS pylons, which arrived with the first Dutch F-16s in Ukraine. These systems detect emissions and operation of enemy radar systems, such as anti-aircraft missiles and radars of aircraft and air defense systems, and interfere with their detection and guidance to the aircraft.
For over two years, Ukraine has sought US-made F-16 fighter jets to enhance its air defenses against Russia’s air superiority. The first six jets have reportedly come from the Netherlands a month ago. Media noted that Ukraine could have currently received only about 10 F-16s, at most.
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