US Navy awards contracts for next-generation dual band towed decoy

US Navy awards contracts for next-generation dual band towed decoy.

Nov. 1, 2019 - The Navy has awarded contracts to BAE Systems and Raytheon in October for the development and demonstration a next-generation, dual band towed decoy. The contracts, valued at $36.7 million and $33 million respectively, will help determine the best fit to meet F/A-18E/F decoy requirements through a 27-month development and demonstration phase.

The Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems Program (PMA-272) based in Patuxent River will carry out testing and demonstrations of the next-generation dual band towed decoy capability on F/A-18E/F.

Decoys enable pilots to execute missions in highly contested airspace and protect the warfighter by luring threat missiles away from the aircraft.

These next-generation dual band decoys will build upon current decoy technologies to defeat the threats of tomorrow.

BAE Systems currently builds the ALE-55 Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy currently deployed on the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Raytheon currently builds the ALE-50 decoy system deployed on F/A-18E/F aircraft.

Source: NAVAIR

Image: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Singley