Afternoon gents,

 

I'm looking for any and all information on the ability of helicopters [specifically shipborne] that can deploy decoys in order to provide target deception/seduction. In the ideal scenario, a helicopter such as a Lynx or Seahawk will take off from the ship carrying a number of decoys such as DLF/SLQ-49. The helicopter would then lay a line of these decoys that would confuse an adversary into thinking that a group of ships [namely yours] is somewhere else. I haven't heard of helicopters from any navy being able to do what could be a very useful capability.

 

Thanks in advance

D

Other identified, related, intriguing and interesting helicopter ECM systems are in:

 

http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav...an-alq2aly.html :

 

AN/ALQ-98 Pod-Mounted Anti-Cruise Missile Set; manufactured by General Instrument; used with USN helicopters

AN/ALQ-102 Pod-Mounted Anti-Cruise Missile Set (pod-mounted AN/ALQ-98); manufactured by General Instrument; used with USN helicopters

AN/ALQ-190 Airborne Chaff ("AIRBOC"); uses LAU-133/A chaff dispenser; used in EA-6B, SH-60, P-3C, S-3B

 

http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav...an-ala2aln.html :

 

AN/ALE-43 Chaff Cutter & Dispenser Pod; manufactured by Alliant Defense Electronics; used with ERA-3B, EA-6B, EA-7A, B-52, NKC-135, F-4, F-16, F/A-18, SH-3, P-3, CE-144 (Canada)

AN/ALQ-98 Pod-Mounted Anti-Cruise Missile Set; manufactured by General Instrument; used with USN helicopters

AN/ALQ-102 Pod-Mounted Anti-Cruise Missile Set (pod-mounted AN/ALQ-98); manufactured by General Instrument; used with USN helicopters

 

Those appear to be the only ones related to the request (and there only in the spirit of the request). Google doesn't return much of anything for those two systems. Do you have any more detail such as statistics, actual deployment, etc.?

 

Thanks

Dale, other than the DLF-3/SLQ-49/Replica system you mentioned, I am not aware of any other 'floating' RF decoys in service that might be dropped by a helo.

ALQ-190 has clearly the same anti-missile function (I suspect it's the equivalent of the SH-3's ALE-43 in the newer SH-60):

from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/lib...tsp/EXPCM-d.htm

AN/ALQ-190(V)1 Chaff Countermeasures Set. The AN/ALQ-190(V)1 is usable as a decoy target for hostile missiles, a confusion target against hostile search radars, target masking coverage, or corridor protection screening to any radar operating in the frequency bands of the AN/ALQ-190(V)1. This countermeasure set is an A-size sonobuoy chaff cartridge designed to be deployed from the SH-3 and SH-60 rotary wing aircraft, and S-3B and P-3C fixed wing aircraft using the A-size sonobuoy launch system.

 

I suspect longtime ALE-43 has the same function (cloud or chaff corridor against incoming missiles, if not is not admissible to use a slow and short ranged helicopter (SH-3) to dispense a ofensive chaff corridor, it can be only a defensive corridor, near a ship, as example), is a bulk chaff-cutter dispenser, but I've not confirmation:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...s/an-ale-43.htm

I only find this other note about the ALQ-98/102, but not more information on it:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...20-%203092.html

Well I tried this by dropping them from a Lynx helicopter. Worked like a charm at least vs Styx missiles. I wonder how many nations can do this?

 

Later

D

Well I tried this by dropping them from a Lynx helicopter. Worked like a charm at least vs Styx missiles. I wonder how many nations can do this?

 

Later

D

 

One would think any nation with helos and the decoys could figure out how to rig a string to the decoy (that is probably already has for streaming behind the ship) and drop it from low speed or hover?

 

That said, what is the benefit vs towing in the traditional fashion? Are you hoping to decoy the missiles entirely away from your force?

Yes. The idea here is to provide deception. IRL the decoys can be towed behind the vessel or can be set adrift and remotely commanded to inflate. Remote activation isn't possible in ANW so what happens is that the user has to make a BOL shot and indicate where the decoy is going to go. The decoy then 'drifts' at 3 knots for the lifetime of the decoy [it's fuel capacity], which is 3 hours in this case.

 

The AO, sees a ship traveling at three knots and attacks it accordingly. Not very good for simulating a ship at speed but I can see it being used for increased clutter....i.e. putting 6 to 10 decoys inside a 6 to 8 ship formation.

 

I suppose a modern version what what we saw in 'Master and Commander' would be a small boat with a big ass reflector and it's own motor but that's a waste of a good UUV.

 

Later

D