L3Harris Technologies, Inc. LHX recently revealed that it has been chosen by the Polish government to supply its Viper Shield electronic warfare (EW) system for the nation’s F-16 Viper upgrade initiative. This deal should solidify L3Harris’ competitive position in the EW domain.
L3Harris has provided EW systems for F-16s for more than 30 years to offer state-of-the-art capability to address emerging and future threats. The company claims its EW is the only successful and funded international EW program.
Building upon the success of its existing EW systems, L3Harris started to develop the cutting-edge Viper Shield, which comes with fewer critical components than previous generation EW systems and thus has a reduced weight.
To take a step ahead in the EW market, L3Harris, in collaboration with the military jet giant Lockheed Martin LMT and the U.S. Air Force, is currently developing the new AN/ALQ-254(V)1 and (V)2 Viper Shield, a next-generation EW system.
One of Viper Shield’s most impressive features is its compatibility with various F-16 configurations.
As rising geopolitical tensions and escalating terrorist threats, along with the emergence of advanced missile systems and radar technologies, are fueling demand for airborne EW solutions, L3Harris is witnessing increased contract flows. The latest contract win is a bright example of that.
This must have prompted the Mordor Intelligence firm to project a CAGR of 7.6% for the airborne electronic warfare market in the 2025-2030 period. Such growth prospects bode well for L3Harris, whose product portfolio includes a handful of such products, like its AN/ALQ-211 family of self-protection EW systems, AN/ALQ-214 Onboard Jammer and AN/ALQ-161A countermeasure system.
Other defense contractors that are likely to gain from the growth potential provided by the airborne electronic warfare market are listed below:
Lockheed Martin: It has fielded more than 3,000 airborne electronic warfare systems over the last 45 years. LMT currently produces the AN/ALQ-210 for the U.S. Navy and international MH-60R and the AN/ALQ-217 on the U.S. Navy’s E-2C/D aircraft.
LMT has a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 10.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 4.6%.
BAE Systems BAESY: It has almost 60 years of expertise in creating EW systems for military, intelligence and head-of-state aircraft. Its AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System protects U.S. Air Force F-15s with digital electronic warfare technology.
BAESY has a long-term earnings growth rate of 14.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 sales implies a year-over-year increase of 63.4%.
Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC: The company is the Airborne Electronic Attack System Integrator for the U.S. Navy warfighter. Its AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite provides F-16 EW capabilities comparable to fifth-generation aircraft.
NOC has a long-term earnings growth rate of 3.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 sales calls for year-over-year growth of 2.7%.