Raytheon has been awarded a $33 million contract under the U.S. Navy Demonstration of Existing Technology program. Over the next 27 months, the company will develop a modern towed decoy for the F/A-18E/F aircraft.
The technology is intended to protect pilots. By sending out signals across extended frequencies, it can convince hostile weapon systems the real target is the decoy, not the aircraft.
“Decoys are there to bring a pilot home safely – period,” said Jeremy Carney, director, Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems. “The dual-band decoy will look like the target, deceive threats and steer missiles toward it, rather than the aircraft.”
The dual-band decoy is based in part on the ALE-50 decoy system, which has already been used in multiple military operations. Raytheon has delivered more than 29,000 ALE-50 units in support of both U.S. and allied aircraft, and the company said it plans to leverage its experience with ALE-50 to meet the Navy’s F/A-18 E/F decoy requirements.
“Pilots nicknamed the ALE-50 the Little Buddy during previous conflicts because it consistently saved their lives,” Carney said. “The dual-band decoy will continue to do that in the face of modern threats.”