The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a contract to upgrade the AN/ALQ-131 electronic countermeasure (ECM) pods for its F-16 fleet, the company said Monday.
The upgrade, with an undisclosed value, includes new threat detection and jamming capabilities for the F-16s. The AN/ALQ-131 pod is a widely-used ECM system.
“The digital technology in the AN/ALQ-131 upgrade provides a significant leap in capability for electronic countermeasures, giving RNLAF aviators a superior level of protection wherever their missions take them,” Robert Fleming, Northrop Grumman vice president of programs, said in a statement.
The company highlighted that its Digital Receiver/Exciter adds a fifth-generation aircraft electronic warfare technology to the AN/ALQ-131 as air defense capabilities in hostile regions have grown in sophistication.