Locally-Made Electronic Warfare Pod Integrated Into Turkish F-16 Aircraft

A domestically developed electronic warfare system has been integrated into Turkey’s F-16 fighter jets, marking a new step in the country’s efforts to reduce foreign dependence in defense technology.

The Electronic Support Pod (EDPOD), developed by TÜBİTAK BİLGEM, was declared operational by Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır, who confirmed that it had successfully passed flight tests against live radar threats.

Mounted on F-16s, the EDPOD is a tactical electronic warfare system designed to detect, classify, and locate enemy radar emissions, including those used for tracking, missile guidance, and target illumination. Sharing the external shape of a 300-gallon fuel tank, the pod was first unveiled at the IDEF'19 defense exhibition. It employs wideband and narrowband receivers to identify radar threats and determine their geographic positions by analyzing signal parameters such as direction of arrival, frequency, pulse width, and modulation.

The system supports real-time data sharing with other units via Link-16, enabling coordinated responses and contributing to the formation of the Electronic Order of Battle (EOB). EDPOD offers high receiver sensitivity, simultaneous multi-threat detection, and large data storage capacity for both mission and post-mission analysis. Powered by a real-time operating system developed by TÜBİTAK, it records raw signal and location data, which can later be processed by specialized software in the Ground Support System to update the electronic warfare database.