Air National Guard’s Upgraded F-16 AESA Radars Allow it to Defeat Cruise Missiles

More than 70 F-16 Fighting Falcons across 12 Air National Guard units are now flying with the new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that will allow pilots to detect, target, identify, and engage across a spectrum of threats at longer ranges and react with greater precision.

“(With the F-16’s previous APG-68 fire control radar), I had the ability to target up to two tracks, that’s it,” said Lt. Col. Michael Trujillo, District of Columbia ANG’s 113th Aerospace Control Alert Detachment commander, the unit responsible for the air defense of the national capital region. “At that point, my radar is completely saturated and has no more bandwidth. With the AESA radar, (without getting into) specific numbers, I can target more things than I can shoot.”

Air National Guard and defense industry leaders and distinguished visitors commemorated this addition to the F-16’s arsenal of equipment recently in a ceremony held on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The group gathered in front of an AESA-equipped F-16 assigned to the DCANG’s 113th Wing, the first unit in the Air Force to receive this upgraded capability.

The provisioning of the AESA radar in the F-16 legacy fleet was a result of the combined effort of the defense industry, Congress, the U.S. Air Force, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The implementation of this radar technology, which complements the capabilities of fifth-generation fighters like the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, revitalizes legacy aircraft and cost-effectively integrates them into the current generation of assets.

Since the first F-16 upgrade with the AESA radar in January 2020, the 113th Wing has leveraged its effectiveness for its missions, including the defense of the NCR.

Responding to more than 7,000 events since 9/11, the 113th ACA is the most active alert fighter air defense unit in the Department of Defense. It also possesses the perfect mission to showcase the AESA radar’s capabilities.

“[We use] radars and different frequency bands … to build as robust of a 3D picture as possible,” Trujillo said. “You want that full gamut of the spectrum to make sure that you're not missing anything.”

The F-16’s previous APG-68 fire control radar had near-zero capability against cruise missiles, which means the AESA radar provides new capabilities for the legacy aircraft, explained Trujillo.