The global fleet’s average age has risen to a record 14.8 years. According to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, 26% of all in-service aircraft across the 15 European countries with the largest air forces were purchased before 1990.
As defense threats grow more complex and persistent, the age of military aircraft fleets continues to climb, posing a serious challenge to national security. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has only amplified these concerns, triggering renewed geopolitical tensions and forcing militaries to reevaluate their readiness. Meanwhile, non-state actors are acquiring sophisticated weapons—making modern intelligence, surveillance, and electronic warfare (EW) solutions more critical than ever.
It’s often said that “every war offers a window into how future wars will be waged.” If that’s true, then we can expect future battlefields to be increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Drone warfare, in particular, is redefining combat in both scale and precision. Smarter drones are accelerating the kill chain, while advancements in human-machine teaming are compressing decision-making cycles from minutes to seconds. At the same time, improvements in range are expanding the size of the battlefield itself.
Yet, this rapidly evolving threat landscape stands in stark contrast to the protection capabilities of many legacy aircraft fleets. Platforms like the F-16, still a backbone of many air forces, now require modern self-protection systems to defend against contemporary threats—without the burden of costly and time-consuming EW integration.
Agility in Action: Ukraine’s Case for Modernized Air Defense
The Russian invasion of Ukraine exposed critical gaps in air defense capabilities. At the time, Ukraine's air force lacked effective self-protection solutions against modern threats. In many cases, radar systems were left disengaged out of fear that the enemy would detect them first—a devastating disadvantage in high-stakes air combat.
With an aging fleet of MiG-29s and Su-27s, Ukraine turned to NATO allies for help. The F-16s offered a lifeline: advanced sensors, interoperability, survivability, and a path toward limited air superiority. That assistance materialized when Denmark and the Netherlands announced the donation of 61 F-16s to Ukraine.
Through the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF), Terma provided the Electronic Warfare capabilities that would make those jets combat-ready. Most Dutch and Danish F-16s were already equipped with both ECIPS/ECIPS+ (Electronic Combat Integrated Pylon System) and PIDS/PIDS+ (Pylon Integrated Dispensing System) pylons. In its’ most advanced ECIPS+/PIDS+ configuration, this is a combination that integrates advanced sensors such as Hensoldt’s missile warning receivers, and countermeasures including Northrop Grumman ALQ-161 jammers, chaff, and flares—all managed via a unified command and display interface.
Rapid Response, Real-Time Impact
In November 2023, Terma received the first batch of F-16 pylons to begin upgrades tailored to Ukraine’s needs.
Terma Program Excellence Director, Henrik Pedersen, supported the urgent efforts.
“We knew we had to move quickly to support the Danish government and Ukraine. It was vital they received the best protection available.”
Within months, Terma integrated the latest EW capabilities, including:
- Expanded chaff and flare dispensing capacity through additional magazines
- Upgraded dispensing systems to carry mixed payloads
By March 2024, the first batch of enhanced pylons was delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force for transfer to Ukraine. Since summer 2024, Ukraine has employed F-16s in anti-drone, anti-missile, and strike missions, using the upgraded ECIPS+ and PIDS+ pylons to create near-spherical coverage packed with EW systems capable of detecting, denying, and defeating threats—giving pilots vital pockets of air superiority to complete their missions.
Future-Ready EW Solutions, Fielded Fast
Terma remains committed to delivering cutting-edge, rapidly deployable EW solutions—even as jets remain operational.
“Our goal is to keep as much of your fleet flying and mission-ready as possible. Our pylons are customizable and can be fielded with minimal downtime. Once they reach the point of installation, they’re already certified for airworthiness. And because the pylons are swappable, a minimal number of systems can protect an entire fleet—at a fraction of the cost.”
These pod and pylon-based EW solutions can be tailored to any platform and system, meaning they can be installed on rotary-wing aircraft, transport planes, drones, and more—supporting a wide array of jammers and sensors, regardless of OEM.
Henrik Pedersen says the protection applications are vast.
“Our flexibility allows us to think beyond limitations. We work side by side with customers to build the right defense solutions for their unique missions. At the heart of it all, it’s about protecting the lives of pilots and the integrity of fleets across our global alliance.”