On March 12, the Air Force Reserve Command’s Test Center (AATC) of the United States announced that it had successfully integrated the AN/ALQ-167 Angry Kitten electronic warfare pods onto its F-16 fighters, paving the way for their future installation on larger platforms such as the C-130 Hercules and A-10 Thunderbolt II. This modern system stands out for providing electronic warfare capabilities to aircraft that do not inherently possess them as one of their primary features.
Referring to some statements on the matter, program engineer Chris Culver stated: “We had little hope for what we could achieve with larger aircraft, but it’s proving that we are really getting good results (…) This success is particularly significant for combat search and rescue platforms, which often operate in contested environments without electronic warfare protection.”
Furthermore, the AATC’s statement highlights that during the integration tests on larger platforms—such as the C-130—the approach used aims to be even more intense and realistic than in the F-16 case. This is made possible by the ability to bring development engineers aboard the aircraft, allowing them to modify jamming techniques mid-flight to assess the system, thus differing from the previous case, in which pre-programmed mission files were used.
From a technical perspective, it has been reported that to accommodate the new AN/ALQ-167 Angry Kitten pod, C-130 aircraft received a new SABIR-type mount in the section where the paratrooper deployment door is located. During flight, the mount extends beneath the aircraft, enabling proper system operation without requiring invasive modifications to the airframe.
It is also worth noting, in line with the intention to expand the pod’s use on other platforms, that the USAF has already expressed plans to integrate it into MQ-9 Reaper drones. In fact, the first integration tests of the Angry Kitten pod with this unmanned system were conducted in March 2023, with the project currently ongoing at the Air Force’s facilities in Syracuse, New York. Additionally, aerial refueling fleets could also benefit from these advancements in the near future, particularly the KC-46 and KC-135 systems.
Finally, it should be mentioned that U.S. Air Force engineers are also in the process of developing a new electronic warfare pod called the Advanced Test and Training Capability (ATTACK), informally known as “Angry Kitten Inc 2 Block 2.” While details about it remain limited, it has been stated that it aims to upgrade the platform’s analog sensors to digital ones while expanding the available space within the pod to integrate new components.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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