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AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver
AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver
AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver
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The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver (RWR) is an electronic warfare receiver designed to warn an aircraft's crew of potentially hostile radar activity. It is a combined threat warning and electronic countermeasures control system built to be successor for the United States Navy's AN/ALR-45 utilized on several aircraft types including the A-6E Intruder (SWIP), AV-8B Harrier II Plus, EA-6B Prowler, F-14 Tomcat, and F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet.

Key Information

In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/ALR-67" designation represents the 67th design of an Army-Navy airborne electronic device for countermeasures receiver equipment. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense and some NATO electronic systems.

Description

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Weighing in at 99 pounds (45 kg),[1] the ALR-67 uses four antennas installed at various locations around the aircraft, each having about a 180° conical field of view or aperture.[2] The original system primarily received and processed radar signals between 1–16 GHz (30.0–1.9 cm) providing threat identification and relative bearing to the aircrew.[3] Today, after several upgrades, the system covers several IEEE radar bands including UHF/L/S/C/X/Ku and into the K-band, from 0.5–20 GHz (60.0–1.5 cm).

The primary display of threats to the aircew is a circular presentation with concentric rings extending from the middle of the screen. Symbols of alpha-numeric code representing various radar threats appear on the display according to the computed direction of the threat relative to the aircraft. The concentric rings do not represent distance to the threat, but rather the computed threat level, with greater threats displayed closer to the center of the screen and less important threats toward the edge of the display.[4]

Initially a stand-alone system, the ALR-67 integrates and coordinates its operation with onboard fire-control radars, data links, jammers, missile detection systems.

History

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In the early 1970s, the US Navy established a requirement for a third-generation radar warning receiver specifically designed for the EA-6B, an electronic warfare aircraft. The program would be called CWCS (Countermeasures Warning and Control System). In 1974, the Navy released a solicitation for companies to bid on the CWCS development program which was awarded to Litton Industries' Applied Technology division in 1975.[5] Applied Technology went on to produce many different RWR systems for the US military, so that by the time of Desert Storm in 1990, Litton RWR systems were aboard 80% of the 1,000 U.S. fixed wing aircraft and 100% of Canadian and Kuwaiti combat aircraft.[5] At that time, AN/ALR-67 were employed on F/A-18, A-6, F-14A and AV-8B aircraft.

The Navy issued an Engineering Change Proposal, ECP-510, to upgrade the original ALR-67. The card-for-card upgrade significantly increased signal sensitivity as well as an increase in computer pulse processing capabilities. The original AN/ALR-67 was produced by Litton Industries. But Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems in Rolling Meadows, Illinois was the manufacturer for the follow-on AN/ALR-67(V) and (V)2 versions.

In the mid-1990s,[6] Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems of Goleta, California was the prime contractor for the fourth-generation AN/ALR-67(V)3 Advanced Sprecial Receiver.[7] Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) was attained in June 1998,[6] and Initial Operating Capability (IOC) was announced in 2003.[1]

Foreign military sales

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Australia

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Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and AWA Defence Industries (AWADI) developed the ALR-2002 RWR system beginning in 1992.[8] Although designed for Royal Australian Air Force F-111 Aardvark requirements, the 15-month A$4,950,000 program never progressed beyond concept demonstration.[8] Australian newspaper The Age much later reported on 13 September 2006, the Australian Defence Minister accepted a recommendation to stop development of the ALR-2002 for the RAAF F/A-18, and instead most likely install the ALR-67V(3) instead.[9]

Years later, on 27 February 2013, the US Department of Defense's Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Australia of twelve each F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft to include 24 of the ALR-67(V)3 RWR systems and many other supporting systems. This sale was estimated at a cost of US$3.7 billion[10]

Canada

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On 3 August 2007,[11] the DSCA notified Congress of a potential FMS to Canada of fifty-nine ALR-67(V)3 receivers, associated equipment and services for Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet aircraft. The estimated value was US$209 million. This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.

Kuwait

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The DSCA further announced on 17 November 2016 the State Department approved a possible FMS to Kuwait of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets worth an estimated US$10.1 billion. The sale included aircraft, support, equipment and training. Forty-five AN/ALR-67(V)3 systems were included in the package.[12]

Finland

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Approval by the State Department of another possible foreign military sales to Finland of both F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft was announced by DSCA on 9 October 2020. The sale, with an estimated cost of US$14.7 billion, included aircraft, weapons and related equipment.[13]

References

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See Also

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver

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from Grokipedia
The AN/ALR-67 is a third-generation digital radar warning receiver (RWR) system designed for U.S. military aircraft to detect, identify, and locate radar emissions from ground-based, shipborne, and airborne threats, delivering visual and aural alerts to aircrews for improved situational awareness and survivability in electronic warfare environments. Development of the AN/ALR-67 began in 1975 under the U.S. Navy's Centralized Warning System (CWCS) program, initially awarded to Applied Technology, Inc., as an upgrade over earlier analog systems like the AN/ALR-45 to counter evolving Soviet-era threats. The baseline AN/ALR-67(V)2 variant entered service in 1982, providing core detection capabilities across frequencies from 2 to 40 GHz, including low-band pulses below 2 GHz and millimeter-wave signals from 28 to 40 GHz, and has been integrated into platforms such as the F/A-18 Hornet, F-14 Tomcat, and AV-8B Harrier. Subsequent upgrades addressed performance shortfalls and extended operational life; the AN/ALR-67(V)3, developed by Hughes Aircraft (later Raytheon), achieved Milestone II approval in 1987 and entered low-rate initial production in 1998, featuring enhanced processing power—an order of magnitude greater than its predecessor—for handling complex emitters like pulse-Doppler and continuous-wave radars. This variant, weighing approximately 100 pounds and part of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) suite, offers precise threat prioritization, azimuth determination, and lethality assessments while interfacing with weapons like the AGM-88 HARM missile, countermeasure dispensers, and RF jammers via multiplex buses. Full-rate production of the (V)3 began in 1999 for the F/A-18C/D/E/F Super Hornet, with over 500 units procured at an average unit cost of $1.1 million, with ongoing sustainment and a planned replacement under the Advanced Defensive Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) program as of 2025. The AN/ALR-67(V)4 variant was planned for F-14 upgrades and the AV-8B but saw limited funding and implementation. Internationally, the system has been exported through foreign military sales, including to Australia for its F/A-18 fleet starting in 2007, Canada for CF-18 modernization (38 units plus spares), and Switzerland for its F/A-18s, expanding its role in allied defensive avionics. Engineering change proposals, such as ECP-510, further improved sensitivity and pulse analysis, ensuring adaptability to emerging threats without full system replacement. Overall, the AN/ALR-67 series represents a cornerstone of tactical aircraft self-protection, with a total program cost exceeding $1.8 billion and ongoing sustainment for hundreds of installations. As of 2025, the system continues in service with recent sustainment contracts, though the U.S. Navy is developing the Advanced Defensive Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) suite to replace it on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Introduction

Description

The AN/ALR-67 is a third-generation digital radar warning receiver (RWR) designed to detect and warn aircraft crews of hostile radar emissions originating from air defense systems, missiles, and other threats. As a key component of electronic warfare suites, it enables pilots to identify potential dangers and initiate appropriate responses, enhancing overall mission survivability. In operational contexts, the AN/ALR-67 functions through passive detection of radar signals across multiple bands, delivering critical situational awareness without emitting signals that could reveal the aircraft's position. This capability allows aircrews to assess the electronic environment and employ countermeasures effectively against radar-guided threats. The system integrates seamlessly with other aircraft subsystems, including fire-control radars, data links, jammers, and missile warning systems, to provide coordinated electronic warfare support. Its compact configuration makes it well-suited for installation on fixed-wing tactical aircraft, particularly in modern naval aviation roles where space and weight constraints are paramount. The AN/ALR-67 has evolved through successive variants to adapt to advancing threat landscapes.

Key Specifications

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver is characterized by a total system weight of 99 pounds (45 kg), making it suitable for integration into high-performance fighter aircraft without significantly impacting payload or maneuverability. It provides comprehensive frequency coverage from below 2 GHz to 40 GHz, encompassing the UHF (0.3–3 GHz), L (1–2 GHz), S (2–4 GHz), C (4–8 GHz), X (8–12 GHz), Ku (12–18 GHz), K (18–27 GHz), and Ka (27–40 GHz) bands to detect a wide array of radar emissions from air defense systems and airborne threats. The antenna configuration consists of four spiral antennas arranged to deliver full 360° azimuth coverage, with each antenna offering a 180° field of view for overlapping detection and precise threat localization. Power requirements are met through aircraft-supplied 28 VDC, with the system consuming approximately 80 watts during operation to support continuous monitoring in dynamic combat scenarios. Environmental tolerances are engineered for demanding aircraft conditions, adhering to military standards such as MIL-STD-810 for resistance to extreme temperatures (-54°C to +71°C), high vibration (up to 20 g), and shock, ensuring reliability in high-threat airborne environments. Processing capabilities rely on digital signal processing via dual ATAC-16M threat processors, enabling real-time identification, prioritization, and classification of radar signals based on emitter parameters like frequency, pulse repetition, and modulation.

Development History

Origins and Early Development

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver program was initiated by the United States Navy in 1974 to equip its tactical aircraft, such as the F-14 Tomcat, amid escalating demands for improved threat detection in contested environments, with later integration on platforms like the F/A-18 Hornet. This effort stemmed from the need to modernize airborne electronic countermeasures systems during the height of the Cold War, where rapidly evolving radar technologies posed significant risks to naval aviation assets. In 1975, the Navy awarded the development contract for the Countermeasures Warning and Control System (CWCS)—later designated as the AN/ALR-67—to Litton Industries' Applied Technology division, marking the system's entry into formal engineering and prototyping phases. Litton, leveraging its prior experience with earlier radar warning receivers, designed the AN/ALR-67 as a digital, microprocessor-controlled unit to provide automated detection, identification, and alerting against radar emitters. The core objective was to supersede the AN/ALR-45, a first-generation digital receiver introduced in the early 1970s that struggled with the complexity and density of advanced Soviet surface-to-air and air-to-air radar threats, such as those from SA-6 and SA-8 systems. Prototype testing commenced shortly after the contract award, involving laboratory simulations and flight trials to validate the system's sensitivity, direction-finding accuracy, and integration with aircraft avionics. Initial production runs began in the early 1980s, achieving operational capability with the baseline AN/ALR-67(V)1 variant in 1982 on the F-14 Tomcat, with the AN/ALR-67(V)2 variant following for the F/A-18 Hornet around 1983, enabling these platforms to conduct missions with enhanced situational awareness against radar-guided threats. Through the 1980s, production scaled up to support broader Navy adoption, with key milestones including the completion of initial qualification testing and the rollout of low-rate initial production lots that refined software algorithms for emitter library updates. These early efforts established the AN/ALR-67 as a foundational element of U.S. naval electronic warfare, later demonstrating its value in combat operations like Desert Storm.

Major Upgrades

The major upgrades to the AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver were driven by the need to extend its service life beyond the 1980s, enabling detection of evolving threats such as low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) radars that employ low power, wide bandwidth, and frequency agility to evade traditional receivers. These enhancements focused on improving sensitivity, processing capacity, and integration with modern avionics to maintain operational relevance against advanced air defense systems through the early 21st century. In the early 1990s, the U.S. Navy initiated Engineering Change Proposal (ECP)-510 as a card-for-card upgrade to fielded AN/ALR-67 systems, significantly boosting signal sensitivity in dense electromagnetic environments and increasing data throughput for better threat discrimination. Originally produced by Litton Industries' Applied Technologies Division, the program transitioned to Northrop Grumman following its 2001 acquisition of Litton, which facilitated mid-life updates including hardware refreshes and sustainment for legacy variants. During the 1990s, enhancements emphasized expanded pulse processing capacity, allowing an order-of-magnitude increase in handling complex radar signals across high-band frequencies (2-40 GHz), alongside improved integration with digital avionics for seamless data sharing in platforms like the F-14D and F/A-18. These upgrades addressed limitations in analog-era designs by incorporating digital signal processing to prioritize and characterize threats more effectively. The AN/ALR-67(V)3 achieved low-rate initial production (LRIP) in June 1998, with initial operational capability (IOC) declared in 2003, marking a pivotal evolution that enhanced detection of LPI and agile emitters while maintaining backward compatibility. This version briefly introduced real-time calibration for antenna arrays to improve accuracy in dynamic threat scenarios.

Design and Operation

System Components

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver employs a modular hardware and software architecture designed for integration into tactical aircraft, facilitating upgrades and maintenance while maintaining compatibility with existing electronic warfare suites. This modularity is evident in its component design, which allows for form-and-fit replacements and scalable processing capabilities without requiring extensive aircraft modifications. The antenna subsystem consists of four spiral antennas mounted on the aircraft fuselage, providing omnidirectional coverage across supported frequency bands for comprehensive signal reception. These antennas are positioned to ensure 360-degree azimuth detection, with the low-band integrated array contributing to broad-spectrum sensitivity while minimizing aerodynamic drag. At the core of the system is the receiver and processor unit, featuring channelized digital receivers—including a broadband crystal video receiver, a superheterodyne receiver, and an integrated low-band receiver—paired with dual processors such as the CP-1293C or ATAC-16M for signal analysis and system control. This unit processes intercepted signals in real time, emphasizing digital architecture for enhanced modularity and reduced overall system weight. Interface modules enable seamless connectivity to the aircraft's avionics buses, including the EW multiplex bus and HARM data bus, allowing data sharing with systems such as HARM missiles, countermeasure dispensers, and RF jammers. These modules support standardized protocols for integration, ensuring the AN/ALR-67 operates as part of a broader defensive electronic countermeasures ecosystem. The software architecture incorporates a reprogrammable threat library via a user data file (UDF), enabling field updates to emitter identification parameters without hardware changes. This modular code structure supports ongoing enhancements, with dual-processor configurations allowing parallel processing for reliability and future scalability. Power and cooling systems are integrated into the receiver-processor unit and interfaces to minimize demands on the host aircraft, drawing from standard 28V DC supplies and utilizing passive thermal management where possible to reduce size, weight, and power impacts.

Threat Detection and Display

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver operates through a passive detection process that begins with the reception of radar pulses emitted by potential threats, utilizing broadband crystal video, super-heterodyne, and low-band receivers to capture signals across frequencies such as 2-40 GHz for high-band pulses, below 2 GHz for low-band pulses, and 28-40 GHz for millimeter waves. These intercepted pulses are then subjected to deinterleaving, a signal processing technique that separates overlapping or interleaved radar emissions from multiple emitters into distinct streams for individual analysis. Emitter identification follows, where the processed signals are matched against a reprogrammable threat library stored in a user data file (UDF), enabling the system to recognize specific radar types such as scanning, pulse Doppler, or continuous wave emitters while allowing for timely updates to the library for emerging threats. Classification of detected threats occurs by analyzing key signal parameters, including pulse repetition frequency (PRF) or interval (PRI) and modulation characteristics, to determine the radar's function—such as search, tracking, or missile guidance—thereby prioritizing the threat level based on its potential danger to the aircraft. This parametric evaluation, combined with the threat library comparison, provides the aircrew with actionable intelligence on emitter type and intent, enhancing situational awareness without active emissions that could reveal the aircraft's position. The display interface presents threats on a dedicated cockpit unit, typically a 3-inch diameter circular cathode-ray tube (CRT) in earlier variants or a liquid crystal display (LCD) in upgraded models, featuring concentric rings that represent range or priority levels radiating from the aircraft's position at the center. Symbols on the display indicate threat azimuth relative to the aircraft's heading, with alphanumeric or geometric icons denoting the specific emitter type and direction, providing a 360-degree azimuthal view for rapid threat localization. Aural and visual alerts complement the display to ensure immediate crew notification; aural cues include distinct tones varying in frequency and duration to signal new threats, zone changes, or launches, while visual alerts use dedicated lights on the instrument panel and dynamic growth cues on the display—such as expanding symbols or flashing indicators—to denote escalating threat intensity or proximity. These multimodal warnings allow pilots to respond instinctively without diverting full attention from primary flight tasks. Integration with countermeasures systems enables automated responses, where the AN/ALR-67 cues compatible dispensers like the AN/ALE-47 via an electronic warfare (EW) multiplex bus, automatically triggering chaff or flare release programs tailored to the classified threat, or interfacing with jammers and anti-radiation missiles such as the AGM-88 HARM for targeted suppression. This seamless linkage supports threat-adaptive dispensing, mixing chaff, flares, and expendable jammers to counter radar-guided or infrared threats effectively.

Variants

AN/ALR-67(V) and AN/ALR-67(V)2

The AN/ALR-67(V) served as the baseline model of the radar warning receiver, developed by Litton Applied Technology and introduced in the late 1970s. This variant utilized broadband crystal video and super-heterodyne receivers to provide initial sensitivity for detecting S/C-band threats from ground, ship, and airborne emitters, alerting aircraft crews to potential hostile radar activity. Primarily deployed on U.S. Navy platforms including the A-6E Intruder, F-14 Tomcat, and early F/A-18 Hornet models, the AN/ALR-67(V) integrated with existing avionics to display threat azimuths and priorities, supporting evasive maneuvers and countermeasures in tactical scenarios. The AN/ALR-67(V)2 represented a significant upgrade, implemented via Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 510 by Litton in the 1980s, enhancing overall performance through improved signal processing. This variant achieved better low-altitude detection and reduced false alarms by incorporating advanced pulse descriptor word (PDW) analysis, which enabled more precise emitter identification and prioritization in dense electromagnetic environments. Key differences from the baseline included an expanded dynamic range for handling strong signals without saturation and heightened sensitivity in the S/C-band, allowing the system to process a greater volume of pulses per second for improved threat discrimination. These enhancements were retrofitted to existing AN/ALR-67(V) installations on the same primary platforms, extending operational utility into the 1990s. Despite these improvements, the AN/ALR-67(V) and (V)2 variants exhibited limitations against modern agile radars employing frequency agility and low-probability-of-intercept techniques, often resulting in degraded detection accuracy and prompting the need for subsequent generational upgrades.

AN/ALR-67(V)3

The AN/ALR-67(V)3, developed by Raytheon (following its acquisition of Hughes Aircraft), represents an advanced variant of the radar warning receiver, with initial contracts awarded in the 1990s to advance digital processing capabilities for U.S. Navy aircraft. Low-rate initial production (LRIP) commenced in June 1998, paving the way for full-rate production; a notable example is the $84.7 million U.S. Navy contract awarded to Raytheon for continued manufacturing and delivery of these systems. This variant incorporates a fully channelized digital receiver architecture paired with dual 32-bit processors, marking the first deployed radar warning receiver to achieve such integration for enhanced signal processing. These advancements enable superior detection and identification of low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) radars, including continuous wave (CW) and three-dimensional LPI emitter modes, thereby improving aircraft survivability against stealthy threats. Key enhancements include extended frequency agility spanning 2–40 GHz to cover a broad spectrum of pulse, pulse-Doppler, and CW emitters; reduced system size and weight to approximately 100 lb (45 kg) through simplified digital design; and greater accuracy in dense signal environments, with direction-finding precision better than 5° RMS and frequency measurement accuracy of 5 MHz RMS. These features provide pilots with reliable situational awareness amid radar-saturated battle spaces, prioritizing unambiguous threat identification over previous analog limitations. Initial operating capability (IOC) for the AN/ALR-67(V)3 was achieved in 2003, with the system intended to fulfill U.S. Navy operational requirements through at least 2020 via software-reprogrammable threat libraries supporting over 2,000 emitter modes. Primarily deployed on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, it integrates seamlessly with onboard defensive systems like high-speed anti-radiation missiles and countermeasures dispensers to support carrier-based tactical missions. Foreign military sales of the AN/ALR-67(V)3 have included deliveries to nations such as Australia and Switzerland for integration into their F/A-18 fleets.

Other Variants

The AN/ALR-67E(V)2 represented an enhanced baseline configuration of the radar warning receiver, deployed on platforms including the F/A-18 Hornet, F-14 Tomcat, and AV-8B Harrier, serving as the predecessor to later upgrades with improved signal processing capabilities. The AN/ALR-67E(V)2 is the enhanced configuration of the (V)2 via ECP-510. Litton Industries, as the original manufacturer, produced early versions of the system. Seven engineering development models were fabricated for testing and evaluation in the early 1980s. These prototypes underwent operational evaluations, with approvals for production and service use anticipated by mid-1983 for integrations on aircraft such as the A-6E Intruder and F/A-18. The AN/ALR-67(V)4 emerged as a specialized adaptation primarily for the F-14A/B upgrade program and F-14D Super Tomcat, with potential application to the AV-8B Harrier contingent on funding; it differed from the AN/ALR-67(V)3 mainly in the housing configuration of one weapon replaceable assembly to accommodate tail mounting compatibility on select platforms. This variant emphasized software tailoring for unique airframe integrations without substantial hardware alterations from core models, resulting in limited production runs often incorporated into broader electronic warfare suites. Export configurations of the AN/ALR-67 have been provided through foreign military sales to operators such as the Royal Australian Air Force for their F/A-18 fleet, involving platform-specific installations but retaining core detection and identification functions. Trial integrations, including on the AV-8C Harrier variant, demonstrated direct replacement compatibility with minimal wiring changes, supporting limited adoption in non-standard U.S. configurations.

Operational Deployment

United States Military

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver has been a cornerstone of electronic warfare self-protection systems across multiple U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fixed-wing aircraft platforms since the early 1980s. Primary installations include the A-6E Intruder, AV-8B Harrier II Plus, EA-6B Prowler, F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet series, and EA-18G Growler, where it provides critical radar threat detection and situational awareness to enhance aircraft survivability in contested environments. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the AN/ALR-67 was widely deployed on U.S. Navy and Marine Corps tactical aircraft, equipping the majority of fixed-wing platforms involved in the air campaign and contributing to low attrition rates through effective threat evasion and countermeasures integration. In subsequent conflicts, including Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the system supported U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan by enabling pilots to detect and maneuver away from surface-to-air missile radars and other emitters, thereby reducing vulnerability during close air support and interdiction missions. Within the U.S. Navy, the AN/ALR-67 is integral to carrier air wing operations, serving as the standard radar warning receiver for front-line strike and electronic warfare aircraft in high-threat littoral and overland scenarios, where it interfaces with jammers and dispensers to protect carrier-based assets. Training and maintenance for the AN/ALR-67 are embedded in U.S. Navy fleet readiness programs, with specialized hands-on instruction provided through facilities like the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit at Naval Air Station Lemoore, ensuring technicians can perform diagnostics, software updates to the threat library, and repairs on weapon-replaceable assemblies. As legacy platforms have been retired, the AN/ALR-67 has been phased out from aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat, which completed U.S. Navy service in September 2006, though it remains operational on active fleets such as the F/A-18 and EA-18G.

International Operators

The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver has been exported to several international partners through Foreign Military Sales, primarily integrated on F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft to enhance threat detection capabilities. Australia acquired 24 AN/ALR-67(V)3 units as part of a 2013 deal valued at $3.7 billion for 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 12 EA-18G Growlers, providing the Royal Australian Air Force with advanced radar threat warnings for its multirole fleet. These systems were integrated to support operations in the Indo-Pacific region, aligning with the aircraft's electronic warfare suite. Canada purchased 59 AN/ALR-67(V)3 units in 2007 under a $209 million contract to upgrade its CF-18 Hornet fleet, enabling improved detection and identification of radar emitters for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The upgrade focused on extending the service life of the legacy Hornets until the arrival of new platforms. Kuwait obtained 45 AN/ALR-67(V)3 units in a 2016 Foreign Military Sale valued at $10.1 billion, incorporating them into upgrades for its F/A-18C/D Hornets and new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to bolster air defense against regional threats. Switzerland integrated the AN/ALR-67(V)3 on its F/A-18C/D Hornets as part of a 2008 upgrade program, with Raytheon providing ongoing support through a 2016 performance-based logistics contract to maintain the system's reliability for the Swiss Air Force. This configuration ensures compatibility with NATO-standard electronic warfare operations. The AN/ALR-67's design allows for potential integration on other allied F/A-18 platforms, though exports remain limited to these operators.

Future Developments

Recent Contracts and Prototypes

In December 2023, the U.S. Navy awarded RTX's Raytheon business an $80 million contract to develop a prototype for the Advanced Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) system intended for integration on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, focusing on enhancing the AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver's capabilities against evolving threats. This prototype aims to consolidate electronic warfare functions into a single, software-defined unit that builds on the ALR-67(V)3 architecture, improving signal processing and threat identification while reducing size, weight, and power requirements compared to legacy systems. The effort includes a 36-month development phase encompassing preliminary design review, critical design review, and flight testing to validate enhanced threat detection performance. By early December 2024, Raytheon completed a key design review for the ADVEW prototype, marking a significant milestone in its maturation and paving the way for government-led testing and potential integration with the Super Hornet fleet. This review confirmed the system's ability to deliver multi-function electronic warfare capabilities, including advanced radar warning and countermeasures, with improved accuracy in complex electromagnetic environments. The Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Department of Defense budget allocated resources for ADVEW initiatives as part of broader efforts to modernize naval airborne electronic warfare, explicitly building on the AN/ALR-67 architecture to address limitations in legacy threat detection against peer adversaries. This funding supports prototype refinement and sustainment activities for existing ALR-67(V)3 fleets, ensuring operational continuity during the transition to next-generation systems. Ongoing sustainment contracts, such as the multi-year repair and upgrade agreement initiated in 2021, continue to provide logistical support valued at up to $102.6 million through 2026, covering repairs and enhancements for deployed units.

Planned Replacements

The U.S. Navy's Advanced Defensive Electronic Warfare (ADVEW) program, funded in fiscal year 2024 with an $80 million contract to RTX, seeks to replace the AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver and the AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasure system with a single, consolidated electronic warfare suite for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. This initiative addresses the need for enhanced defensive capabilities against evolving threats in highly contested environments by providing faster threat detection, more agile countermeasures, and improved aircraft survivability. The prototype underwent a successful Critical Design Review in September 2025, marking progress toward integration and validation testing. The next-generation radar warning receiver under ADVEW is slated for incorporation into the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets, enabling multi-function radar warning and electronic attack capabilities as part of broader platform upgrades. This system builds on the Navy's aviation modernization efforts, with full operational integration targeted for fiscal year 2027, supporting sustainment of these aircraft through their extended service life into the 2040s. Development follows a 36-month timeline from contract award, including preliminary and critical design reviews to ensure compatibility with existing avionics. The transition to these replacements involves a phased approach, beginning with prototype validation in the mid-2020s and progressive fleet-wide adoption to retire legacy AN/ALR-67 systems. This effort aligns with the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative, which emphasizes networked electronic warfare to connect sensors and platforms across air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains for real-time decision-making. By consolidating functions into a more integrated suite, ADVEW supports JADC2's goal of enhanced joint interoperability and responsiveness to peer adversaries.

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  23. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA566236.pdf
  24. https://www.jedonline.com/2023/12/12/from-the-jed-archives-protect-and-strike-navair-peo-t-advances-naval-airborne-ew/
  25. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA275517.pdf
  26. https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1993/may/advertisements
  27. https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA900/RRA981-1/RAND_RRA981-1.pdf
  28. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/raytheon-awarded-847-million-for-alr-67v3-full-rate-production-contract-122497793.html
  29. https://www.airforce-technology.com/features/feature1280/
  30. https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/raytheon-analr-67v3-rwr-06270/
  31. https://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/disp_old_pdf.cfm?ARC_ID=431
  32. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/sgp/sgpmbb/00416158770/00416158770.pdf
  33. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA280803.pdf
  34. https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30639.html
  35. https://www.ausairpower.net/Analysis-ODS-EW.html
  36. https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2004/other/FY04DOTEAnnRpt1.pdf?ver=2019-11-07-173426-513
  37. https://www.key.aero/article/still-got-sting
  38. https://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=67
  39. https://www.militarynews.com/news/cnattu-lemoore-innovates-with-burst-courses/article_70f53e68-44eb-11e9-8e06-e3cde9c6fcc9.html
  40. https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-91-205.pdf
  41. https://man.fas.org/dod-101/sys/ac/f-14.htm
  42. https://www.key.aero/article/f-14-tomcat-variants-crew-perspectives
  43. https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/australia-seeks-to-buy-24-super-hornets
  44. https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/canadas-hornet-upgrades-alr-67-rwrs-03587/
  45. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/11/28/2016-28487/36b1-arms-sales-notification
  46. https://raytheon.mediaroom.com/2016-07-29-Raytheon-to-service-Swiss-radar-warning-receiver
  47. https://raytheon.mediaroom.com/2023-12-19-U-S-Navy-awards-RTX-80-million-to-prototype-Advanced-Electronic-Warfare-for-the-Super-Hornet
  48. https://www.naval-technology.com/news/raytheon-advew-us-navy/
  49. https://www.rtx.com/news/news-center/2023/12/19/u-s-navy-awards-rtx-80-million-to-prototype-advanced-electronic-warfare-for-the
  50. https://seapowermagazine.org/u-s-navy-awards-rtx-80-million-to-prototype-advanced-electronic-warfare-for-the-super-hornet/
  51. https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/raytheon-completes-key-review-of-new-super-hornet-ew-system/160995.article
  52. https://thedefensepost.com/2024/12/05/raytheon-ew-prototype-super-hornet/
  53. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/advanced-electronic-warfare-prototype-for-super-hornet-passes-design-review/
  54. https://insidedefense.com/insider/raytheon-completes-review-new-fa-18-electronic-warfare-prototype-ahead-government-testing
  55. https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/air/16870-raytheon-s-next-gen-ew-system-for-super-hornets-growlers-clears-key-hurdle
  56. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/new-electronic-warfare-system-for-us-navy-super-hornets-makes-it-through-critical-review-258179.html
  57. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval-warfare/us-navys-super-hornet-electronic-warfare-upgrade-moves-a-step-closer/
  58. https://media.defense.gov/2022/Mar/17/2002958406/-1/-1/1/SUMMARY-OF-THE-JOINT-ALL-DOMAIN-COMMAND-AND-CONTROL-STRATEGY.pdf
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