Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

Hi!!

What are the main differences between ALQ-131 and ALQ-184?

Thanks!!

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They look somewhat similar, but I think the 184 is a bit bigger. Other than that, the 184 is most likely more effective against more modern radar guided threats and detection equipment. Just think of it as "New and Improved". Wink

That's probably about all you will get for info, as details on stuff like that are strictly verboten. Big No No

The numbers they end...with???

Are you looking for dimensions? Cause the other stuff inside and what they do....you can't talk about.

Rolling Eyes

Sorry but I don't Know. Rolling Eyes

Is not allowed to talk about this systems here? Question

The ALQ pods are part of the FM (F-ing Magic) system. Just like magicians, those who know don't tell.

You can read up on the non-classified details here:

AN/ANQ-131:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/e ... lq-131.htm

AN/ALQ-184:
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/e ... lq-184.htm

Like it's been said - most is highly classified

Ok thanks!!!

The only thing I'm interested is in what mission type you should carry each one.

Thanks again Razz

ender wrote:

Ok thanks!!!

The only thing I'm interested is in what mission type you should carry each one.

Thanks again Razz

Hehe - smart one! That is part of what is classified!

I am paraphrasing here, but I heard this years ago and it made me laugh.

"You know what classified means when it comes to ECM? You don't ask about the capabilities of the ECM pods and we don't talk about ECM capabilites."

Kind of cuts down on available info Wink

the ALQ-187 is the internal version of the ALQ-184,right guys?

I worked on the ALQ-131 in England in 1986-87, and then I became the lead field engineer for Raytheon on the ALQ-184 from 1987 to 1998. Everything I am saying here is freely available in industry publications (I checked carefully).

The ALQ-184 is a heavily modified ALQ-119. Raytheon gutted the RF bay and changed the layout. The various RF channels were standardized. The analog control section was replaced with a digital control section with 15 microprocessors.

The ALQ-131 is a modular ECM system, with removable equipment racks to provide a versatile mission package. Changing equipment configurations isn't as easy as Westinghouse made it out to be, though, so the standard package is pretty closeley adhered to. The F-16 typically flies with a shallow pod configuration. A "deep" pod configuration with an equipment gondola underneath adds another octave of frequency coverage but is dangerously deep for the F-16 centerline mount. The ALQ-131 was designed with maintenance in mind, with easy access to all the RF and control sections. Cooling is provided through an evaporative freon recirculating system.

The ALQ-184 incorporated the Rotman RF lens used in the Navy SLQ-32 shipboard ECM system. Reliability was increased using multiple mini-TWT's instead of single high gain TWT's like the ALQ-131 and -119. High gain antennas and a pulse processing receiver dramatically increased the effective radiated power of the system. Cooling is provided using coolanol 20 recirculated through a high pressure pump to radiating heat exchangers. The system is not as maintenance friendly, since the RF section is contained in a 9-inch tube and requires a great deal of effort to remove for troubleshooting.

Both systems are designed for self-protection jamming for tactical fighter aircraft. Neither system provides enough power to deny the use of the spectrum to modern weapons systems, so the objective is to achieve an acceptable miss distance by spoofing the threat radar. This is done through a variety of techniques that I won't discuss. There is no doctrine to choose one pod over another based on the mission requirement. Active units do not employ more than one type of pod. The ALQ-184 has been proven to be more effective than the ALQ-131, and doesn't have as big an impact aerodynamically, so is the pod of choice for combat units.

The ALQ-187 has nothing to do with the ALQ-184.

I think I've seen that the -131 is supposed to replacing the -184 as well. What I learned from my Viper days and is verifiable from published photos is that the pod a Viper carries depends on where it's based. PACAF and ACC birds have -184s and USAFE birds have the -131. That may be based on numbers of pods or theater specific threats and pod capabilities or a combination of both. I can't be sure that this applies to the Guard and Reserve birds as well even though they technically are grouped under ACC for support.

scruffy wrote:

The ALQ-187 has nothing to do with the ALQ-184.

sorry Sir,but read this

Quote:

Raytheon Systems’ AN/ALQ-184 is
the Air Force’s standard pod-mounted
ECM jammer; the AN/ALQ-187 is an internally
mounted variant of the ALQ-184.

http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/ar ... mber04.pdf

Could ALQ-131 or ALQ-184 be equipped on the chin just like Sniper or Lantirn Pods ?

Nope - too big, would interfere with the wheel wells - both forward and aft.

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

ALQ-131 Vs ALQ-184