ALE-55 Towed Fighter Decoys for US Navy, Australia

AN/ALE-55
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The AN/ALE-55 (V) is a related system made by BAE, consisting of an electronic frequency converter (EFC) and a fiber optic towed decoy (FOTD). It works together with an aircraft’s onboard electronic warfare (EW) equipment, throughout the entire ECM cycle of Suppression (harder to acquire or track the towing plane), Deception (active jamming techniques aimed at enemy launchers); and Seduction (active jamming aimed at the missile, and being a decoying target itself if all else fails).

The ALE-55 was introduced after Raytheon’s similar ALE-50 towed decoy, but it is carving out a parallel market share, and has been ordered by the USA and Australia to equip F/A-18 Hornet & Super Hornet aircraft.

Contracts & Key Events

ALE-55 concept
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July 27/11: FRP-1. BAE Systems Electronics, Intelligence & Support in Nashua, NH receives a $36.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract, exercising an option for Full Rate Production, Lot 1, of the ALE-55 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures subsystem for the US Navy & Marine Corps ($26.9 million; 73%), and the government of Australia ($9.9 million, 27%) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The order includes associated technical support, recurring and non-recurring engineering efforts associated with the order, and additional electronic frequency converter (EFC) and a fiber optic towed device (FOTD) rounds.

Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (80.6%); Mountain View, CA (12%); and Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom (7.4%). Work is expected to be complete in September 2013. $142,574 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-10-C-0069).

June 28/10: LRIP-6. BAE Systems Electronics, Intelligence & Support, Electronic Solutions in Nashua, NH receives a $31 million firm-fixed-price contract for AN/ALE-55 Low-Rate Initial Production Lot 6. This contract combines purchases for the US Navy and Marine Corps ($28.5 million, 92.2%), and the government of Australia ($2.4 million; 7.8%). LRIP-6 includes 72 EFCs (electronic frequency converters) for the US Navy (55) and the government of Australia (17); and 334 FOTD (fiber optic towed device) rounds for the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Together, the EFC and FOTD make up the ALE-55.

Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (80.6%); Mountain View, CA (12%); and Chelmsford, United Kingdom (7.4%), and is expected to be complete in September 2012. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD, as the ALE-55’s manufacturer is already established (N00019-10-C-0069).

Sept 22/09: Raytheon in Goleta, CA received a $6.7 million firm-fixed-price contract to retrofit 603 integrated multi-platform launch controllers (IMPLCs) on F/A-18 aircraft for the US Navy (576 for $5.9 million, 89%) and the government of Australia (27 for $764,613, 11%). The IMPLC is the launch controller component of the AN/ALE-50 and AN/ALE-55.

Work will be performed in Goleta, CA (99%) and Fullerton, CA (1%), and is expected to be complete in April 2013. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to the FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract (N00019-09-C-0036).

April 17/09: LRIP-5. BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems in Nashua, NH received a $33.7 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the Low Rate Initial Production Lot V of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) AN/ALE-55 (V) Subsystems and associated technical support and non-recurring engineering for the U.S. Navy (70 EFCs, 251 decoys, $27.5 million, 81.57%) and Royal Australian Air Force (12 EFCs, 72 decoys, $6.2 million, 18.43%) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. Both customers have also purchased Raytheon’s AN/ALE-50s in the past, and continue to do so.

BAE Systems’ release states that it began low-rate initial production of the AN/ALE-55 Lot IV in June 2008, and is expected to complete production of Lot V in September 2011. When combined with the previous Lot IV award, this Lot V production award increases total deliveries to 473, and the total contract value to $65.6 million. Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (92%) and Mountain View, CA (8%), and is expected to be complete in August 2011. The US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages this contract (N00019-08-C-0044).

June 26/08: LRIP-4. BAE Systems, Electronics and Integrated Solutions in Nashua, NH received a $31.9 million firm-fixed-fee contract for the low rate initial production Lot IV of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures AN/ALE-55(V) Subsystems and associated technical support for the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F aircraft. The AN/ALE-55(V) subsystem consists of an electronic frequency converter (EFC) and a fiber optic towed decoy (FOTD). This contract provides for a total of 54 EFCs and 150 FOTDs. In addition, this contract provides for non-recurring and sustaining engineering for production support, first article test analysis, and physical configuration audits for the EFCs and FOTDs.

Work will be performed in Nashua, NH (92%) and Mountain View, CA (8%), and is expected to be complete in October 2011. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-08-C-0044).

Additional Readings

• BAE Systems – AN/ALE-55 Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy

• Global Security – AN/ALE-55 Fiber Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD)

• DID – Raytheon’s ALE-50 ‘Little Buddy’ Decoys. A related towed interference and decoy system from Raytheon that serves with F-16 Falcon/Viper, F/A-18 Hornet family, and B-1B Lancer heavy bomber aircraft.