An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

News from the Oklahoma National Guard

NEWS | July 1, 2022

Oklahoma Guard F-16s receive fifth-generation radars

By Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Imwalle, 138th Fighter Wing

The 138th Fighter Wing is one of nine Air National Guard bases chosen to receive upgraded, fifth-generation radars for the F-16 Viper.

These upgrades are part of a project known as Post Block Integration Team, which is one of the largest modernization efforts in the history of the U.S. Air Force.
Maj. Richie Shuler, 125th Fighter Squadron chief of weapons and tactics, explained that the upgrades were a full component and software replacement which involved the removal of the old radar system that were replaced with an APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. The new system has the ability to track more targets at longer ranges than the previous one.

“There is a very noticeable difference in how many targets we can track and the ranges,” said Shuler. “This makes it easier for us to make decisions because more range equals more time when we’re fighting.”

The upgrades began in 2017 when the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded Northrop Grumman a contract worth $243 million to update the radars on the F-16. In total, 72 F-16s received the upgrade across the ANG, and according to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, hundreds more are slated to get a combined upgrade package in the coming years.

“The completion of these deliveries highlights Northrop Grumman’s continued commitment to rapidly fielding fifth-generation radar capability to the fleet to counter and defeat increasingly sophisticated threats to our nation and its allies,” said Mark Rossi, director of SABR programs for Northrop Grumman, in a company press release.
In addition to the installation of these radars, Tulsa’s fleet of F-16’s will be receiving multiple upgrades over the course of the next 10 years.

“Having these upgrades in our fleet will allow us to combat the emerging threat with more lethality than we have before,” Schuler said. “It will help maintain our relevance as a primary fighting platform against both air threats and ground threats, as a premier multi-role fighter. The F-16 is an extremely capable machine and having these new upgrades will give us longevity in any fight, for years to come.”
Video by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck
Future of drone defense takes flight at inaugural Oklahoma National Guard Counter-UAS Symposium
Oklahoma National Guard
March 12, 2024 | 2:33
Future of drone defense takes flight at inaugural Oklahoma National Guard Counter-UAS Symposium at Oklahoma State University’s Hamm Institute for American Energy in Oklahoma City, March 12-13, 2024. The symposium addressed the evolving landscape of warfare and security challenges posed by UAS technology, including the integration of artificial intelligence, countering the UAS threat and countless other emerging advancements. (Oklahoma National Guard video by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck

CG: Information:
Jamey Jacob, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research & Education
(00:17-00:24)
More