Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
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Fascinating, long article. This is just a small part of it.
F-35's Most Sinister Capability Are Towed Decoys That Unreel From Inside Its Stealthy Skin
These "little buddies" not only protect the jet, but they can be used creatively to goad the enemy into showing itself and dying as a result.
MARCH 28, 2019
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...oys-that-unreel-from-inside-its-stealthy-skin
One of the least talked about, but most potent capabilities that can enhance the survivability of a combat aircraft these days is the ability to deploy towed decoys. Often referred to as "little buddies" by the crews that bet their lives on them, they have existed in miniature form for over two decades on aircraft like the F-16C/D, B-1B, and F/A-18E/F, as well as foreign fighter aircraft. But most wouldn't think such a system would be included in a 5th generation fighter that was designed from the ground up to evade enemy radars. This isn't the case. Although it isn't something touted by the manufacturer or its operators, the F-35 has this capability concealed beneath its curvaceous and stealthy skin.
First off, you are probably thinking that the inclusion of such a system in the F-35's design is a sign of weakness in its stealth capabilities. Maybe it could be framed in such a manner, but doing so really doesn't do the topic justice and it wouldn't be fair to the F-35 either.
Stealth fighters, as we know them today, are not highly optimized to evade a broad range of radar types. Instead, they are optimized to give fire control radars used to actually engage targets, as well as detect them in many cases, a very tough time. The classic appendages of a fighter aircraft—nose, tail surfaces, exhaust nozzles, and even wings—do not lend themselves to broadband radio frequency low-observability, but they are conducive to maneuverability and speed. So, while aircraft like the F-35 are effective at hiding from the most threatening radar types, and especially when viewed by those sensors from certain aspects, with the frontal-hemisphere profile being most optimized, they are less adept from doing the same when it comes to radars operating at lower frequencies or when viewed from rearward angles.
[snip]
The F-35, on the other hand, is designed with its own highly-integrated, highly-advanced AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare system. It takes advantages of its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the antennas that are buried along the edges of its wings and control surfaces and beneath its skin. This capability allows the F-35 to 'self-escort' to the target area and back, taking on enemy emitters electronically that it may have trouble staying far enough away from to evade detection entirely. This same electronic warfare suite and the jet's high degree of sensor fusion offers F-35 pilots the ability make rapid decisions regarding their survivability on the fly. They can decide to destroy threatening emitters that may pop-up in their way, and new weapons are being developed to do this quickly and over relatively long ranges, or to avoid the threat entirely if possible, or to try to blind and confuse it via electronic attacks, allowing the F-35 to sneak by unscathed.
[snip]
One of the Joint Strike Fighter's tricks that has remained largely in the shadows is the inclusion of an internal towed decoy system—one that has "little buddies" that are wicked smart to boot. We know for a fact that the F-35 is capable of deploying a specially-built version of advanced electronic warfare-enabled towed decoy known as the ALE-70.
The ALE-50 and electronic warfare-enabled ALE-55 are currently in service with the USAF and U.S. Navy. The first generation-variant of the ALE-50 towed decoy was unreeled out behind an aircraft and basically gave threatening air defense systems a much larger and more enticing target to attack than the host aircraft itself. As a result, the missile would home in on the decoy and blow it off its wire instead of destroying jet itself. During various operations, including the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the system worked incredibly well and clearly saved many lives and aircraft. Maybe the best look at the system in action was in Dan Hampton's memoir Viper Pilot, which I highly suggest you read. [Seconded! - W]
Since then, little buddies have morphed from decoy target to advanced electronic warfare-enabled extensions of the plane's own self-protection suite. The ALE-55 that is reeled out from the center of the Super Hornet's belly is capable of jamming enemy emitters in an effort to keeping them from locking onto the aircraft, or directly executing electronic attacks on an emitter that has already locked on, or goading a missile into attacking it instead of the aircraft if an attack is already underway.
Decoy bay open:
Included just because it's pretty:
F-35's Most Sinister Capability Are Towed Decoys That Unreel From Inside Its Stealthy Skin
These "little buddies" not only protect the jet, but they can be used creatively to goad the enemy into showing itself and dying as a result.
MARCH 28, 2019
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...oys-that-unreel-from-inside-its-stealthy-skin
One of the least talked about, but most potent capabilities that can enhance the survivability of a combat aircraft these days is the ability to deploy towed decoys. Often referred to as "little buddies" by the crews that bet their lives on them, they have existed in miniature form for over two decades on aircraft like the F-16C/D, B-1B, and F/A-18E/F, as well as foreign fighter aircraft. But most wouldn't think such a system would be included in a 5th generation fighter that was designed from the ground up to evade enemy radars. This isn't the case. Although it isn't something touted by the manufacturer or its operators, the F-35 has this capability concealed beneath its curvaceous and stealthy skin.
First off, you are probably thinking that the inclusion of such a system in the F-35's design is a sign of weakness in its stealth capabilities. Maybe it could be framed in such a manner, but doing so really doesn't do the topic justice and it wouldn't be fair to the F-35 either.
Stealth fighters, as we know them today, are not highly optimized to evade a broad range of radar types. Instead, they are optimized to give fire control radars used to actually engage targets, as well as detect them in many cases, a very tough time. The classic appendages of a fighter aircraft—nose, tail surfaces, exhaust nozzles, and even wings—do not lend themselves to broadband radio frequency low-observability, but they are conducive to maneuverability and speed. So, while aircraft like the F-35 are effective at hiding from the most threatening radar types, and especially when viewed by those sensors from certain aspects, with the frontal-hemisphere profile being most optimized, they are less adept from doing the same when it comes to radars operating at lower frequencies or when viewed from rearward angles.
[snip]
The F-35, on the other hand, is designed with its own highly-integrated, highly-advanced AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare system. It takes advantages of its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the antennas that are buried along the edges of its wings and control surfaces and beneath its skin. This capability allows the F-35 to 'self-escort' to the target area and back, taking on enemy emitters electronically that it may have trouble staying far enough away from to evade detection entirely. This same electronic warfare suite and the jet's high degree of sensor fusion offers F-35 pilots the ability make rapid decisions regarding their survivability on the fly. They can decide to destroy threatening emitters that may pop-up in their way, and new weapons are being developed to do this quickly and over relatively long ranges, or to avoid the threat entirely if possible, or to try to blind and confuse it via electronic attacks, allowing the F-35 to sneak by unscathed.
[snip]
One of the Joint Strike Fighter's tricks that has remained largely in the shadows is the inclusion of an internal towed decoy system—one that has "little buddies" that are wicked smart to boot. We know for a fact that the F-35 is capable of deploying a specially-built version of advanced electronic warfare-enabled towed decoy known as the ALE-70.
The ALE-50 and electronic warfare-enabled ALE-55 are currently in service with the USAF and U.S. Navy. The first generation-variant of the ALE-50 towed decoy was unreeled out behind an aircraft and basically gave threatening air defense systems a much larger and more enticing target to attack than the host aircraft itself. As a result, the missile would home in on the decoy and blow it off its wire instead of destroying jet itself. During various operations, including the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the system worked incredibly well and clearly saved many lives and aircraft. Maybe the best look at the system in action was in Dan Hampton's memoir Viper Pilot, which I highly suggest you read. [Seconded! - W]
Since then, little buddies have morphed from decoy target to advanced electronic warfare-enabled extensions of the plane's own self-protection suite. The ALE-55 that is reeled out from the center of the Super Hornet's belly is capable of jamming enemy emitters in an effort to keeping them from locking onto the aircraft, or directly executing electronic attacks on an emitter that has already locked on, or goading a missile into attacking it instead of the aircraft if an attack is already underway.
Decoy bay open:
Included just because it's pretty:
