AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system

{{Short description|Military aircraft towed decoy system}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}

{{Infobox avionics

| name = AN/ALE-50

| image = F-16CM 2030 Turku Airshow 2015 04 pylon.JPG

| caption = ALE-50 towed decoy system in the upper part of an F-16 Fighting Falcon wing pylon

| alt = Image of ALE-50 mounted on F-16 aircraft

| type = Radar jamming and deception towed decoy

| manufacturer = Raytheon

| status = In use

| introdate = {{Start date|1995}}

| years-produced = 1995{{en dash}}2014

| number = >25,000

| used-by-aircraft = {{Plainlist |

• B-1B Lancer
• F-16 Fighting Falcon
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornet}}

| used-by-military = {{Plainlist |

• US Air Force
• US Marine Corps
• US Navy}}

}}

The AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system is an electronic countermeasure tool designed by Raytheon to protect multiple US military aircraft from air-to-air and surface-to-air radar-guided missiles.{{Cite web|date=8 December 2021|title=Raytheon repairs towed decoys for Super Hornets|url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/raytheon-repairs-towed-decoys-for-super-hornets/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211208141345/https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/air-warfare/raytheon-repairs-towed-decoys-for-super-hornets/|archive-date=8 December 2021|access-date=3 January 2022|website=Shepard News}} The AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system is an anti-missile countermeasures decoy system used on U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps aircraft, and by certain non-United States air forces. The system is manufactured by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems at its facility in Goleta, California. The ALE-50 system consists of a launcher and launch controller installed on the aircraft (usually on a wing pylon), and one or more expendable towed decoys. Each decoy is delivered in a sealed canister and has a ten-year shelf life.{{Cite web|last=Colman|first=Ron|date=2001|title=AN/ALE-50 Towed Decoy System|url=https://pdfhost.io/v/xLi1cIXWl_ale50|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104035230/https://pdfhost.io/v/xLi1cIXWl_ale50|archive-date=4 January 2022|access-date=3 January 2022|website=Raytheon Electronic Systems}}

When deployed, the decoy is towed behind the host aircraft, protecting the aircraft and its crew against RF-guided missiles by luring the missile toward the decoy and away from the intended target. In both flight tests and actual combat, the ALE-50 has successfully countered numerous live firings of both surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. U.S. military pilots have nicknamed the decoy "Little Buddy".{{Cite web|url=http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/raytheons-ale50-little-buddy-decoys-02573/|title=Raytheon's ALE-50 "Little Buddy" Decoys|website=Defense Industry Daily}} The system requires no threat-specific software, and communicates its health and status to the aircraft over a standard data bus.{{Cite web|last=A.K.|first=Trikha|date=March 2012|title=Electronic Warfare - Countering Missile Threats|url=https://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=927|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108215054/https://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=927|archive-date=8 January 2022|access-date=8 January 2022|website=SP's Aviation}}

In accordance with the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), the "AN/ALE-50" designation represents the 50th design of an Army-Navy airborne electronic device for countermeasures ejection equipment. The JETDS system also now is used to name all Department of Defense electronic systems.