Northrop Grumman expects to enter production with the ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite, or IVEWS, as soon as next year and to field the system in combat in the Middle East as quickly as possible.

The new ALQ-257 is an internal line-replaceable unit, unlike earlier F-16 self-protection electronic warfare pods which are mounted on the centerline station under the aircraft. That means the system will free up an external station for additional fuel or weapons.