Defense Minister Wellington Koo: New F-16Vs' Viper Shield EW System Meets Operational Requirements

(Central News Agency reporter Yu Kaixiang, Taipei, 8th) Media reports indicated that the AN/ALQ-254 (Viper Shield) electronic warfare system installed on Taiwan's newly purchased 66 F-16V (blk70) fighter jets may violate the Legislative Yuan's main resolution requiring that military equipment be identical to that used by the U.S. military. In response, Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated on the 8th that the AN/ALQ-254 has undergone years of development, and while its detailed capabilities are classified and cannot be disclosed, it does meet operational requirements.

The United Daily News reported that the 66 new F-16V (blk70) jets purchased by Taiwan will be equipped with the AN/ALQ-254 EW system. However, the U.S. military plans to begin replacing the same type of system on its aircraft with a different system, the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Electronic Warfare System, starting next year. This could potentially violate the Legislative Yuan's main resolution.

The Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee invited Defense Minister Koo to report on the 'Plan for the Decommissioning Schedule of Aging Major Military Equipment and the Supporting Planning for Combat Power Transition' and to answer questions.

Speaking to the press before the meeting, Koo argued that the timeline presented in the reports is confused. First, the Legislative Yuan's main resolution was made in 2012 regarding the F-16V (blk20) upgrade program, and the pods for the blk20 cannot be internally mounted. He explained that the AN/ALQ-254 has been evaluated and meets operational requirements. Furthermore, not only Taiwan, but F-16V configurations in other relevant countries also use only the AN/ALQ-254, and in fact, the U.S. military has not yet confirmed whether it will use the AN/ALQ-257.

Koo emphasized that the AN/ALQ-254 has undergone years of development, and while its detailed capabilities are classified and cannot be disclosed, it does meet operational requirements.

The AN/ALQ-254 EW system, also known as the 'Viper Shield' EW system, has passed operational testing and secured international orders. Compared to previous models, it can more effectively identify enemy threats and jam enemy electronic signals. According to the L3 Harris website, this EW system has fewer critical components, is lighter, more reliable, and its modular design improves maintenance efficiency.

Furthermore, the Viper Shield is an embedded system that can be effectively integrated with the F-16V (blk70) fighter jet. It can also combine with the jet's existing AN/APG-83 (AESA) radar to provide a wider range of threat warnings, buying pilots time to take countermeasures. In addition to Taiwan, F-16V fighter jets in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Morocco, and Slovakia are also equipped with the same system. (Editor: Su Zhizong) 1150608