Greece is expected to select a new electronic warfare, or EW, suite for its fleet of upgraded F-16 fighter jets soon, David Nyikos, director of international EW programs for airborne combat systems at L3Harris Technologies, told Breaking Defense at the sidelines of the International Fighter Conference.
Nyikos said that while Greece requested pricing 18 months ago, product selection “will come fairly quickly,” noting that L3Harris sees the European nation as its “next likely collaborator” for Viper Shield AN/ALQ-254.
The EW platform, developed in partnership with the Air Force and Lockheed Martin, is equipped with a radar warning receiver and an electronic countermeasure to detect and defeat enemy threats.
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How Will Viper Shield Fit Into Greece’s F-16V Modernization Schedule?
Greece is currently upgrading 84 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D aircraft to the F-16V standard, incorporating Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar and other electronic and communications systems. In September, Lockheed, in partnership with the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, delivered the 42nd upgraded jet to the Hellenic Air Force.
The program is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Nyikos said Viper Shield’s “fully digital” architecture and readiness for export make it the “right fit” for Greece. L3Harris is already producing the system for other international customers, including Poland, which recently adopted Viper Shield for its F-16V fleet.
In 2024, Lockheed Martin received a $520.4 million contract from the Department of Defense to supply Viper Shield units to Bahrain, Bulgaria, Morocco, Slovakia and Taiwan.