US Navy Awards BAE $37M for Aircraft Decoy Countermeasures

BAE Systems has won a $36.7 million US Navy contract to develop and demonstrate a next-generation, dual band Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) to protect the navy’s aircraft and pilots from advanced threats.

BAE Systems' FOTDs radio-frequency countermeasure systems will provide self-protection capabilities for any aircraft, including fighters, bombers, and transports. The company's Dual Band Decoy development work is intended to expand the capabilities of its ALE-55 FOTD used on F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, the company said in a statement Monday.

The primary role of the decoy is to protect the warfighter by luring threat missiles away from the aircraft. The decoy also combines techniques that disrupt adversaries' radar, preventing missile launch from occurring. Much like the ALE-55 FOTD, the Dual Band Decoy will interface with onboard electronic warfare (EW) equipment.