ALE-50 Towed Decoy System
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The AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System is an electronic countermeasures (ECM) system utilized on multiple U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. The system is manufactured by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems at its facility in Goleta, California. The ALE-50 system consists of a launcher and launch controller installed on the aircraft (usually on a wing pylon), and one or more expendable towed decoys. Each decoy is delivered in a sealed canister and has a ten-year shelf life.
When deployed, the decoy is towed behind the host aircraft, protecting the aircraft and its crew against RF-guided missiles by luring the missile toward the decoy and away from the intended target. In both flight tests and actual combat, the ALE-50 has successfully countered numerous live firings of both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. U.S. military pilots have nicknamed the decoy "Little Buddy".
The ALE-50 was first deployed in 1996 on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, but is also used on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the B-1B Lancer. The ALE-50 has also been integrated into the next-generation ALQ-184(V)9 ECM pod, creating an integrated threat-protection system that can be carried on a larger number of platforms.
The Lot 9 production contract in April 2005 has increased the total number of decoys ordered to 22,495, with deliveries scheduled through 2007.
