Ukrainian Air Force may lose one of the key electronic warfare tools-the An/ALQ-131 systems that help to stuff Russian radars and make the F-16 less vulnerable to enemy air defense.
According to Forbes, the Donald Trump administration can stop the maintenance of these systems, which will seriously weaken the defense capability of the Ukrainian Air Force. An/ALQ-131 is a powerful means of electronic warfare that creates electronic noise, preventing the tracking of F-16 fighters by Russian radars. During Joe Baiden's presidency, American experts regularly updated the An/ALQ-131 software to adapt it to changes in Russian air defense systems. If the US is stopped, Ukrainian aircraft run the risk of staying with outdated settings that the Russian military can easily bypass by changing the frequencies of its radars.
Ukrainian Air Force may face serious difficulties: the efficiency of F-16 fighters in battles with Russian air defense will decrease. The threat to Ukrainian pilots will increase, as Russian radars will be more easily identifying their planes. Ukraine will have to look for alternative IU systems that may be less effective. Against the backdrop of the US/ALQ-131 support, France has expressed his willingness to transfer to Ukraine Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter. However, their protection is currently limited by outdated systems: serval radar warning receiver. Sabre obstacle device device. ECLAIIR's flawed targets and signaling missiles. The French Ministry of Defense has promised to modernize these systems, probably equipped with Miraage 2000 with the latest Mark 2 or Mark 3. Despite the difficult situation, Ukraine does not remain without options. If US support is terminated, you will have to find alternative to the main service An/ALQ-131 (for example, through European partners). It is more active in working with France to get Miraage 2000 with modern HRs. Develop your own IE systems to reduce foreign support dependence.
The loss of maintenance of AN/ALQ-131 will be a serious blow to the Air Force of Ukraine, but hope remains-it all depends on diplomatic efforts and speed of adaptation to new conditions.
