우크라이나에 제공되는 F-16의 전자전 시스템을 업그레이드한 미국

[위종민]

미국이 덴마크, 노르웨이와 협조해 유럽에서 우크라이나로 제공되는 F-16의 전자전 시스템을 업그레이드했다고 미공군이 8월 26일 밝혔습니다. 

미공군의 주요 전자전 부대인 350 스펙트럼전투비행단이 F-16의 전자전 시스템이 러시아의 위협에 효과적으로 대처할 수 있도록 재프로그래밍했다고 밝혔네요. 68전자전대대가 작업을 시행했고, 재프로그래밍을 위한 새로운 프로세스와 접근법을 개발했고 2주만에 시스템을 파악해 임무 데이터 파일을 개발했다고 합니다. 

구체적인 내용은 공개되지 않았지만 기존 기내탑재 전자전 장비나 포드형 전자전 장비의 데이터를 업데이트했다는 얘기겠죠?

How USAF Helped Ukraine Upgrade Its F-16 Electronic Warfare (airandspaceforces.com)

A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 flies over Ukraine in an image released Aug. 13, 2024. Photo courtesy Ukrainian Air Force/Efrem Lukatsky

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How USAF Helped Ukraine Upgrade the Electronic Warfare Systems on Its New F-16s

Aug. 26, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

The F-16 fighters Ukraine is receiving from its Western partners got a boost in their electronic warfare capabilities from the U.S. Air Force, the service revealed Aug. 26.

The Air Force worked with Denmark and Norway to reprogram the EW systems on the F-16s those countries and the Netherlands are providing to Ukraine. The U.S. military had not previously acknowledged contributing its electronic warfare expertise to Ukraine’s F-16s.

“To effectively integrate the F-16 into the Ukrainian Air Force, its EW subsystems required reprogramming to be effective against evolving Russian threats in the spectrum,” the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, the Air Force’s leading electronic warfare unit, said in a news release.

Russia and Ukraine jam GPS guidance systems and engage in other forms of electronic warfare in a cat-and-mouse battle to degrade the effectiveness of everything from cheap drones to cruise missiles.

“Both Ukraine and Russia’s militaries heavily rely on unfettered access to the electromagnetic spectrum to achieve commander objectives and both sides have continuously engaged in EW through techniques such as jamming and spoofing throughout the war to achieve spectrum superiority,” the 350th SWW said in its release.

Ukraine’s first F-16s were unveiled by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Aug. 4, ending a lengthy wait for the Western fighters Kyiv says it needs to defend its airspace from Russia.

Led by the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron, the work required a great deal of adaptability since the USAF specialists had to learn an unfamiliar EW system and then optimize it, relying on data from Denmark and Norway.

“Most reprogramming centers would have said ‘no way’ when approaching this challenge; it’s uncharted policy,” the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron chief engineer, who was not named, said in the release.  

The Air Force said it developed new processes and approaches to understand the EW system that is installed on the F-16s and reprogram it to counter against Russian threats. The improved system was then tested in a “partner-nation lab” along with “coalition teammates” according to the release. The aim was to “test and verify the unique elements required by the Ukrainians” of its F-16s.

“This is not our standard operating procedure,” said the 68th EWS director, who was also not named. “The fact that the team was able to figure out the system in two weeks, go in country with a partner to develop a best-ever mission data file is unheard of and is thanks to the talent here in the squadron and the wing.”

The Biden administration signed off on the Europeans’ decision to provide Ukraine with F-16s in August 2023 amid pressure from allies. The U.S. is not proving its own F-16s but must agree to the transfer of U.S.-made weapons. There are a host of other unanswered questions, including how the planes will be maintained, the full range of munitions that will be used to arm them, and what missions they will perform.

All told, allies have promised to give Ukraine more than 60 F-16s, though the process will be gradual. The U.S. has said it will train a dozen Ukrainian pilots with the Arizona Air National Guard by the end of the fiscal year. Some of those pilots have graduated from that training, but the military has declined to provide specific numbers, citing operational security.

The jets on display Aug. 4 were mounted with what appeared to be AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided medium-range, air-to-air missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared short-range air-to-air missiles, or their inert training variants.

The F-16s Ukraine put on public display were also mounted with what appeared to be an electronic countermeasures pod.

Ukraine is now being added as a foreign military sales case for the 68th EWS, meaning the unit will “provide reprogramming capabilities based on feedback from the Ukrainians,” the wing said in its release. 

Instead of feedback from the Ukrainians in training, future reprogramming will rely on “combat-tested data,” it added.

“One F-16 with a reprogrammed pod won’t achieve air dominance alone, but it may give you a pocket of air superiority for a moment’s time to achieve an objective that has strategic importance and impact,” the 68th Electronic Warfare Squadron’s director said in the release.

[백선호]

덴마크가 준 F-16은 Terma가 만든 것을 쓰겠죠.

https://www.terma.com/media/4x4cnokw/pylon-based-ew-solutions-letter-feb2022.pdf

[위종민]

같은 기체라도 국가별로 전자전 시스템, 기타 이런저런 지원 시스템들도 제각각일 텐데 이런거 통합하고 유지보수 지원하는 것도 보통 일은 아니겠습니다. 전시에야 같은 나라에서 온 건 같은 비행대대에 편성하는 식으로 땜빵해야겠습니다만.

2023년 공고 보니 한국 공군은 아직 ASPJ 쓰고 있는 것 같긴 하네요. 다른 업그레이드는 안 됐으려나.. ( https://www.igunsul.net/detail_bid/index/bid8053951 )

[사처포(곽명기)]

전투기는 상당히 까다로운 모양이네요.
좋은 기체를 가져도 이런 형태의 지원이 없으면 성능에 제약이 ?

[위종민]

전체 기체인지는 모르겠지만 Terma의 전자전 포드를 장착했다고 하긴 하네요. ( https://mil.in.ua/en/news/general-staff-f-16-crashes-while-repelling-russian-air-attack-on-ukraine )

"Ukraine’s F-16 multi-role fighter jets received Terma PIDS+ pylons with a missile attack warning system."

[위종민]

특히나 전자전 장비는 기계는 달려 있어도 각종 데이터를 꾸준히 업데이트를 해줘야 해서요.

미군은 이 데이터 업데이트 소요 시간도 몇 십 일에서 몇 시간 단위로 단축시키려고 노력중이더라구요.