The US Air Force Materiel Command announced on 17 January that the F-15 Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) programme delivered the first F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with the AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS suite to RAF Lakenheath, England.
The F-15 EPAWSS modernizes outdated technology originally designed to address threats from the Cold War by introducing a state-of-the-art electronic warfare system and allows the F-15 to function effectively in contemporary threat scenarios. The F-15 EPAWSS significantly enhances pilot situational awareness by providing the ability to autonomously detect, identify, and locate potential threats, as well as to deny, degrade, and disrupt these threats.
“I’m proud of the entire government and industry team for their commitment, drive, and outstanding work on this critical program,” said Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, Program Executive Officer for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate, which is leading the effort to field the new system.
“It has taken us a long time to get to this point, but this system is vital to our 21st century fighter force structure. EPAWSS significantly improves the survivability and lethality of the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II, and the fact the first modifications are delivering to our front-line fighters at RAF Lakenheath is even more critical. Not only does this system keep our most lethal fighter in the modern fight, it’s an incredible deterrent in our Great Power Competition initiative.”
“This first delivery is the culmination of 11 years of extremely hard work by a lot of great people within the government and our Boeing/BAE Systems industry partners,” added Lt. Col. Matt Heil, Materiel Leader, F-15 EPAWSS.
“This system is a critically-needed capability for F-15 aircrew, Air Combat Command, and the Nation. Furthermore, the system architecture enables us to keep advancing the capability for many years via continual software updates and improvements. EPAWSS is a game-changer.”
The US Air Force stated that the arrival of the initial F-15Es equipped with enhanced electronic warfare capabilities signifies a significant advancement in the Air Force’s initiative to modernize these fourth-generation aircraft, ensuring their readiness for confrontations with sophisticated opponents.
BAE Systems produces the EPAWSS, while Boeing is responsible for its integration at their facilities located in Nashua, New Hampshire, and San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, Boeing manufactures the F-15EX Eagle II in St. Louis, Missouri, which incorporates the EPAWSS.
Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS)
Developed by BAE Systems, the AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS provides the F-15 aircraft with fully-integrated radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, and self-protection solutions to detect and defeat surface and airborne threats in highly contested, dense signal environments.
Equipped with state-of-the-art radio frequency electronic countermeasures, the EPAWSS enhances the ability to penetrate modern integrated air defence systems, ensuring rapid response capabilities and comprehensive protection for aircrew. This all-digital system is both smaller and lighter than its predecessors designed for the F-15 platform.
The flexible architecture of the EPAWSS allows for the integration of new capabilities and future upgrades. It also offers reduced lifecycle costs due to enhanced reliability, maintainability, and an extended service life.
By utilizing advanced digital electronic warfare technology derived from fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the system provides a 360-degree perspective of the battlespace, facilitating mission success even in environments with dense signals.
Furthermore, it improves situational awareness through all-aspect, broadband radar warning and geolocation features. The system enables simultaneous jamming without disrupting radar and radar warning receivers and is compatible with Active Electronically Scanned Array radars. Additionally, it includes a fully integrated AN/ALE-47 chaff and flare Countermeasure Dispenser System.
