The U.S. Navy recently tested a new pod-based self-protection system for the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The pod, whose housing is shaped after the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile, releases an AN/ALE-55 towed decoy that can jam enemy radar or lure incoming radar-detecting missiles away from the aircraft. These pods and decoys within the pods, often referred to as “buddies,” can help improve the P-8A’s survivability, especially in high-end conflicts involving adversaries such as the Chinese Communist Party or Russia. The decoy system is just one of a series of efforts in recent years by the U.S. Navy and Air Force to add additional countermeasure capabilities to large, non-stealthy aircraft.
The system successfully completed “effectiveness testing” on March 26. It is now planned to be fully integrated into the P-8A and fielded.
Capt. Eric Gardner of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office, said in a statement, “This has the potential to be a game changer in protecting warplanes.”
Photo: A P-8A “”Poseidon”” patrol aircraft with a pod decoy system under the wings
The pod is an AGM-84 design with decoy launchers mounted at the rear, as seen in the images released by the Navy. Starting with the general form factor of the P-8A’s already certified Harpoon will help create a self-protection system that can be quickly integrated into the Poseidon patrol aircraft.
The choice of the AN/ALE-55 Fiber Optic Towed Decoy also makes sense, as it is already in service on the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. When deployed, the decoy trails behind the aircraft and is towed by a fiber optic line.
Figure: AN/ALE-55 decoy trailing behind the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
AN/ALE-55 decoys can jam enemy transmitters, such as enemy radars, to prevent them from locking on to the aircraft, or launch an electronic attack to break the lock. The decoy can also send a signal to lure incoming missiles away from the aircraft towing it. The system operates through a control unit mounted in a pod that sends specific commands to the decoy via fiber optic lines.
All of this creates a very flexible system that can quickly respond to a variety of threats that can change rapidly.
In addition to its specific capabilities, AN/ALE-55 will provide P-8A crews with important tools to defend against RF threats. The aircraft defense suite is now more focused on protecting against heat-seeking threats, with a missile approach warning system linked to a directional infrared countermeasure system and a dispenser equipped with decoy flares.
Figure: The P-8A’s directional infrared countermeasures can be seen from the underside of the tail
Figure: A U.S. Navy P-8A firing decoy flares
Given the shift in the U.S. military’s focus in recent years toward preparing for higher-end conflicts, particularly against major potential adversaries such as the Chinese Communist Party or Russia, it is not surprising that the Navy has revived the idea of adding more robust RF countermeasures to the P-8A’s defensive arsenal. the P-8A patrol aircraft, along with other anti-submarine warfare equipment, will be critical in major conflicts in the Pacific and in Europe, where increased submarine capabilities of Russia and Communist China pose a growing challenge to the U.S. military and its allies.
Rare Video: U.S. P-8A Poseidon Patrol Aircraft Confronts Communist Chinese Navy (May 20, 2015, with radio conversation between the two sides during the standoff)
With all of this in mind, it is not difficult to imagine the Navy’s new decoy system, which appears to be a relatively low-cost but highly capable defense tool.
At the same time, this pod will be just one part of an evolving electronic warfare ecosystem that may include additional capabilities for specific aircraft (such as the P-8) to operate in concert with other airborne platforms. The Navy is investing heavily in a comprehensive cyber electronic warfare effort, NEMESIS, that is seeking to link manned and unmanned aircraft systems, particularly swarms of drones, as well as ships and submarines, so that they can work together. a key area of focus for NEMESIS is the creation of phantom fleets of aircraft and ships to confuse adversaries and make it difficult for them to respond effectively.
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