Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

Hi again everyone,

My question today is about the AN/ALE-40/47 system fitted to all F-16.
It is basically a twin 30 cartridges dispenser, sometimes shown faired- over on photographs, most other times loaded, but to my knowledge, I haven?t seen any US aircraft fitted with the additional two dispensers added on the left side (new accomodation starting with the Block 30 in 1987 if I?m correct), though I?ve seen quite a lot of recent pictures of F-16, mainly taken during the 1999 campaign over Yougoslavia. I know the aircraft patrolled and made their attack runs at a higher altitude to avoid IR SAMs and triple A, but could anybody tell me why even the last Block 50 variant is seldom seen with such a loadout ?

I know Turkish, Singaporean, and Israeli F-16 actually fly with all dispensers. Israeli aircraft may even have 2 x 3 launchers.

I know I might be in error here, as accomodating two additional dispensers is at the expense of a fraction only of internal fuel, and since US F-16 aren't equipped with BOL launchers or the PIDS pylon.

Any comment about that is welcome? Confused

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Interesting thing about the PIDs. I met a guy just the other day that is going over to talk to Terma ( a Danish company ), the company that makes it, to ask them to think about making a "smart" PIDs. Instead of dumb weapons on it like a bunch of slicks or ballutes, the thing would have busing on it to take LGBs and JDAM.

For those of you that don't know what a PIDs is, it is a weapons rack that not only holds some weapons like bombs but also has decoys and ECM? gear on it. That might not be an accurate description but it is close. Maybe a PIDs expert can correct me better.

<a href="http://www.terma.com/">Terma company</A>

Anyway if what I described goes through, USAF will consider getting it.

Maybe this thread better belongs in the <a href="http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewforum-f-18-sid-2e52a7b777de8ed6b8a979028b58be4a.html">F-16 Armament</A> section ?

snapshot/elp,

THe USAF aircraft DO have a total of 4 each chaff/flare dispensers on the fuselage. 1 on the right side, 3 on the left, and yes, it started with the block 30s, and was incorporated for 40s and 50s.

As for Smart PIDS, it is in work, TERMA states they can/have do it, and the US is very interested in it. The US ANG/AF Reserve DOES fly with PIDS, active duty doesn't. There a a few different versions of PIDS, the basis PIDS pylon, the PIDS with smart weaposn capibility, and the PIDS with the ECM incorporated.

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

Isn't the AN/ALE-50 deployed from a box attached to a specially designed weapons Pylon? I've seen a few 'in the field' but I'm not sure how widespread it's use in the Viper community it is. I know it's been pretty well liked by the B-1 folks.

Any pictures? When I first saw the thing I was requested to specifically not shoot that part of the jet. (Sometimes it's better to just follow what the PA says... sigh)

I thought the question was about the chaff/flare (ALE40/47).

But yes, the ALE-50 is carried at STA 2 or 8, and replaces the standard underwing adapter. It is very widespread in the F-16 world, here is a drawing I uploaded from Raytheon "flyer".

Hey thanks Loader. Always enjoy your expert view.

DACO Publications has a number of excellent photo of both the PIDS pylon and the ALE-50 decoy dispenser in their F-16 Walkaround book. Also a few photos of the ALE-40/47 are in Isra Decals reference book on Israeli F-16C/D. Close up views of the scabed on ALE-40's (look like they were taken from F-4's) are in Isra Decals F-16A/B book. I hope this helps you.

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

Yes, Loader it was about the chaff and flare ... sorry it just got me to thinking about the towed array. So I asked the question.

Ace - no worries! Keep asking! I know I will keep asking.

Forum: F-16 Armament & Stores

F-16 decoy launchers