The Navy completed developmental testing of a BAE Systems fiber-optic towed decoy to protect military aircraft against enemy missiles.

Those operational tests were performed on the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet strike fighter aircraft.

The AN/ALE-55 towed decoy is part of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) radio frequency countermeasures system. The Navy system provides an electronic warfare defense against missiles guided by radio frequency.

Operational deployment on F-18s is scheduled for December next year.

"I am impressed with the progress the IDECM team has made with the ALE-55," said Navy Capt. William Chubb, program manager for advanced tactical aircraft protection systems. "Its performance during development testing clearly demonstrates the potential of the ALE-55 decoy to provide required improvements to aircrew survivability."

Completing developmental testing and entering into operational evaluation "is a tremendous accomplishment for the IDECM team," said Joe Mancini, BAE Systems IDECM program manager in Nashua, N.H. "It brings the AN/ALE-55 one step closer to deployment, providing aircrews with the self-protection they need."

The AN/ALE-55 consists of an on-board electronic frequency converter (EFC) and the fiber-optic towed decoy. The EFC converts radio frequencies to light for transfer through a fiber-optic line to the decoy. IDECM links the aircraft’s expendable countermeasures, radar warning system, mission computer, and radio-frequency countermeasures system into a unified defensive suite.