EW testing progresses on F-15 EPAWSS upgrade
NewsApril 17, 2020
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. The U.S. Air Force's F-15E Eagle aircraft fleet is currently undergoing critical electronic warfare (EW) testing at the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) on Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.
A Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle fitted with the BAE Systems Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronic defensive aids system -- an integrated digital avionics system designed to protect the F-15E Eagle against enemy air defense systems, according to Jon Danner, F-15 Division Test Manager at Air Force Life Cycle Management Center -- is going through rounds of testing at the BAF.
Danner also explained that the current EW self-protection suite on the F-15E Eagle uses analog technology dating back to the 1970s designed for combat operations in environments that in turn were defended by 1980s-era radar-based ground and air threats. Today's emerging threat environment is much more diverse, complex, Danner said, adding that the aging technology is becoming more difficult and expensive to support.
