L3Harris Wins Deal to Equip Poland's F-16s With Viper Shield EW System

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. LHX recently revealed that it has been chosen by the Polish government to supply its Viper Shield electronic warfare (EW) system for the nation’s F-16 Viper upgrade initiative. This deal should solidify L3Harris’ competitive position in the EW domain.LHX’s EW Dominance & Viper ShieldL3Harris has provided EW systems for F-16s for more than 30 years to offer state-of-the-art capability to address emerging and future threats. The company claims its EW is the only successful and funded international EW program.Building upon the success of its existing EW systems, L3Harris started to develop the cutting-edge Viper Shield, which comes with fewer critical components than previous generation EW systems and thus has a reduced weight. To take a step ahead in the EW market, L3Harris, in collaboration with the military jet giant Lockheed Martin LMT and the U.S. Air Force, is currently developing the new AN/ALQ-254(V)1 and (V)2 Viper Shield, a next-generation EW system. One of Viper Shield’s most impressive features is its compatibility with various F-16 configurations.LHX’s Future ProspectsAs rising geopolitical tensions and escalating terrorist threats, along with the emergence of advanced missile systems and radar technologies, are fueling demand for airborne EW solutions, L3Harris is witnessing increased contract flows. The latest contract win is a bright example of that.  This must have prompted the Mordor Intelligence firm to project a CAGR of 7.6% for the airborne electronic warfare market in the 2025-2030 period. Such growth prospects bode well for L3Harris, whose product portfolio includes a handful of such products, like its AN/ALQ-211 family of self-protection EW systems, AN/ALQ-214 Onboard Jammer and AN/ALQ-161A countermeasure system.Prospects of LHX’s PeersOther defense contractors that are likely to gain from the growth potential provided by the airborne electronic warfare market are listed below: Lockheed Martin: It has fielded more than 3,000 airborne electronic warfare systems over the last 45 years. LMT currently produces the AN/ALQ-210 for the U.S. Navy and international MH-60R and the AN/ALQ-217 on the U.S. Navy’s E-2C/D aircraft. LMT has a long-term (three to five years) earnings growth rate of 10.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 sales indicates year-over-year growth of 4.6%.BAE Systems BAESY: It has almost 60 years of expertise in creating EW systems for military, intelligence and head-of-state aircraft. Its AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System protects U.S. Air Force F-15s with digital electronic warfare technology.BAESY has a long-term earnings growth rate of 14.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 sales implies a year-over-year increase of 63.4%.Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC: The company is the Airborne Electronic Attack System Integrator for the U.S. Navy warfighter. Its AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite provides F-16 EW capabilities comparable to fifth-generation aircraft. NOC has a long-term earnings growth rate of 3.9%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2025 sales calls for year-over-year growth of 2.7%.LHX Stock Price MovementIn the past six months, shares of L3Harris have risen 33.4% compared with the industry’s growth of 21.1%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchLHX’s Zacks RankLHX currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC): Free Stock Analysis Report Bae Systems PLC (BAESY): Free Stock Analysis Report L3Harris Technologies Inc (LHX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks