F-16I fighter jets from the Israeli Air Force equipped with Rampage missiles released by the Israel Defense Forces on 14 January 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israeli company Elbit Systems Ltd will equip the country's F-16I aircraft with its airborne self-protection suite under a nearly USD80 million contract awarded by Israel's Ministry of Defense (MoD).
The MoD via Israel's Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) and the Defense Procurement Directorate (DPD) announced the acquisition on 27 January. According to MoD's press release, the suite will include an electronic warfare (EW) system, an infrared (IR)-based passive warning system (PAWS), a launch detection system, and an advanced chaff and flare dispensing system.
The EW system provides threat disruption capabilities, while the IR warning system identifies airborne and ground threats. PAWS is described as operating within the mid-IR band, analysing IR threat signatures and providing the pilot with the direction, missile type, and time to impact, according to Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems: Air .
The F-16I, also referred to as ‘Sufa', is a version of the F-16 modified for Israeli Air Force (IAF) requirements. Lockheed Martin provided the first Sufa fighter jets in February 2004. The new programme will equip the F-16I “with innovative technologies designed to ensure maximum protection in complex combat scenarios”, said the MoD.
Elbit Systems' press release, also on 27 January, said the contract with the MoD adds to a number of others, which “the company secured over recent years in airborne self-protection solutions”.
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