BAE Systems to develop next-generation airborne decoy countermeasure

BAE Systems has been selected by the U.S. Navy to develop Dual Band Decoy (DBD), one of the most advanced radio frequency (RF) countermeasures in the world. DBD is a cutting-edge RF self-protection jammer that shields fighter jets from enemy attacks.

Expanding the capabilities of BAE Systems’ combat-proven AN/ALE-55 Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy, DBD consists of a towed unit connected by fiber-optic cable to electronic warfare equipment onboard the aircraft. The decoy delivers the latest jamming technology to disrupt enemy radars and lure missiles away from the aircraft. DBD can be launched by the pilot or automatically in response to threats, offering critical protection in highly contested airspace.

“With Dual Band Decoy, we are building on the ALE-55’s years of mission success as a high-powered jamming system,” says Don Davidson, director of the Advanced Compact Electronic Warfare Solutions product line at BAE Systems. “Dual Band Decoy delivers broad capability that can be installed on a variety of aircraft and is upgradeable to address future threats.”

Dual Band Decoy incorporates the company’s custom integrated circuits, enabling higher performance and more capability with reduced size, weight, and power. DBD is an integral part of BAE Systems’ Intrepid Shield approach to creating a protective sphere around platforms in highly contested battlespaces using the full electromagnetic spectrum to detect, exploit, and counter advanced threats.

DBD will be initially fielded on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Work on DBD will be performed at the company’s facilities in Nashua, N.H.