Sensors & Electronic Gear :: Aircraft Protection Systems :: AN/ALE-50 :: AN/ALE-55

AN/ALE-55

IOC: 2006
Origin: United States of America

Contractor/s: BAE Systems

Description: The AN/ALE-55 fiber optic towed decoy system is being developed by BAE Systems to protect the US Air Force B-1B and the US Navy F/A-18E/F aircraft from radar-guided missiles. It is a derivative of the proven AN/ALE-50 towed decoy. The ALE-55 consists of a launch controller, launcher and fiber optic towed decoy (FOTD). It has the potential be used on a variety of platforms without undergoing major modification.

When deployed, the ALE-55's expendable aerial decoy is towed behind the aircraft using fiber optic. The decoy protects the host aircraft providing a more attractive target and steering the radar-guided missile away from the aircraft and right to the decoy. The long endurance ALE-55 has countered both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles during development testing.

In August 2005, BAE Systems completed the AN/ALE-55 development testing program on the US Navy's F/A-18E/F platform. Formal development and testing are expected to be conducted by the US Navy until early 2006 when a low rate initial production order would be issued. Under the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) Block 3 program the AN/ALE-55 FOTD will be provided to the US Navy's F/A-18E/F fleet.

In July 2006 BAE Systems announced that had completed design, development and testing of a new deployment and retrieval mechanism for the AN/ALE-55 fiber-optic towed decoy for use on US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle. The same decoy was also slated for deployment on the C-130 aircraft operated by the US Air Force.

Parent system is the AN/ALE-50
IOC: 1996
Total Production: 25,682
Total Cost: USD$500 million
Other Family Members: AN/ALE-50

Transactions: There are 1 transactions involving 1,269 items for AN/ALE-50 from 2007 to 2009 view report

Applications:

Aircraft Protection Systems
Long Range Attack Aircraft
Military Transport Aircraft
Strike & Fighter Aircraft

AN/ALQ-214 IDECM

B-1B Lancer

C-130J Super Hercules

F-15E Strike Eagle, F/A-18E Super Hornet and F/A-18F Super Hornet

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:: Specifications ::

Time
Mission Endurance: 2 hour
Service Life: 10 year

:: News ::

There are 5 news between
7 Feb 2007
and
28 Feb 2013

FMS: Australia Wants 12 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and 12 EA-18G Growler Aircraft BAE Systems ALE-55 Wins Full Rate Production Contract US Navy Awards BAE Systems Production Contract for ALE-55 Countermeasures AN/ALE-55 Anti-Missile Decoy Begins Tests on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet FMS: Australia Requests Potential Sale of Super Hornet

:: Operators ::

Operators
	Country	Items	Country	Items
	United States of America	?

fully confirmed operational planned retired cancelled destroyed

:: Notes & Resources ::

Last Updated:
Thursday, February 28, 2013

(*) lead contractor

IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
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