The United States Air Force (USAF) has completed the first tests of the new electronic warfare (EW) suite for fighters Boeing F-15 Eagle. Called the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or simply EPAWSS, the system is produced by the British company BAE Systems.
Designed for use on the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bomber and the newest version of the jet, F-15EX Eagle II, EPAWSS is the most advanced EW system ever installed on an aircraft. The suite enables F-15s to operate safely in highly contested environments, using advanced EPAWSS capabilities to identify, monitor and block threats.
“EPAWSS is designed to provide rapid upgradability and feature insertion,” said Amy Nesbitt, EPAWSS Program Manager. “We are using agile software development to provide iterative updates to EW systems in the field, enabling our customers to defeat future electromagnetic threats.”
The EPAWSS suite provides instantaneous and complete electronic warfare capabilities, including radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness and self-protection. The system allows freedom of maneuver and deeper penetration into battlespaces protected by modern integrated air defense systems. In 2022, BAE received a US$293 million contract from Boeing to develop and install the AN/ALQ-250 on the F-15E and F-15EX.
For Major Bryant Baum, who coordinated the testing of the new system at the USAF Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), the “EPAWSS established the foundation for electronic warfare within the warfighter community.” According to the military, the equipment “It is a leap in technology, improving the lethality and combat capabilities of the F-15E and F-15EX in contested and degraded environments against advanced threats.”
BAE Systems supported AFOTEC in carrying out the trials and is now working closely with Boeing and USAF to produce and field test the new Eagle EW suite. This work includes enhancing the system's discriminatory electronic warfare capabilities, including the use of cognitive EW, as demonstrated during the Northern Edge 2023 (NE23) exercise test event.
During the training, BAE carried out on-site software updates, further improving EPAWSS's response to the threats presented in the simulation. “By incrementally testing and fielding cognitive EW solutions for proven systems like EPAWSS, we are enabling the tactical spectrum leapfrog against advanced threats that are unpredictable, evolving and adaptive.”, said Chip Mosle, program director at BAE.
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