The Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) has decided to equip its F-16 C/D Block 52M fighters with new electronic warfare systems, selecting the AN/ALQ-211 AIDEWS systems manufactured by the U.S. company L3Harris. This information comes from reports on April 22 by the United States Department of Defense.
While no delivery schedule or amounts involved have been detailed, it is expected that the modernization work will cover the 34 F-16 C/D Block 52M aircraft in the Iraqi inventory, specifically those stationed at the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base. The Iraqi Air Force’s fleet of fighters as a whole consists of 24 single-seat F-16Cs and 10 two-seat F-16Ds, deliveries of which began in 2014.
Regarding the AIDEWS system (Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suite), the manufacturer states that it is a comprehensive electronic defense device that allows it to protect an aircraft by autonomously disrupting, denying, and degrading a wide spectrum of enemy threats; it also provides the pilot with greater situational awareness when being targeted by air defense systems using laser guidance.
A detailed analysis of the L3Harris system provides further information about its operation. By using radar warning receivers, it quickly detects when the aircraft is being targeted by enemy radar searches, information with which electronic countermeasure systems are activated to interrupt the signal. In the case of laser-guided or heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles, the AIDEWS system employs infrared countermeasures to keep the fighter safe.
It is also noted that the Iraqi F-16 C/D Block 52M aircraft can incorporate the AIDEWS system in either of its two versions, while it is from the Block 52 onwards that the AN/ALQ-211[V]4 integrated into the aircraft itself can be used, requiring the purchase of the AN/ALQ-211(V)9 model with pod configuration for any of the previous versions.
The efficiency of the AN/ALQ-211 system has already been tested by various air forces around the world, including those of the United States, Chile, Poland, and Turkey, among others. As for aircraft equipped with AIDEWS, examples include the CV-22 Osprey special operations aircraft, F-15 and F-16 fighters in various variants, the F-35 Lightning II, A-10 attack aircraft, and NH-90 helicopters. It is also worth noting that the use of the AN/ALQ-211 (V)9 is adaptable for unmanned aerial vehicles.
*Image credits: US Air Force; DVIDS.
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