Electronic Warfare Capabilities for Large Aircraft

Modern Spectrum Protection

c-130 military transport aircraft taking off from runway

Summary

Our large aircraft countermeasures system, ALQ-251, protects airlifters and tankers against radio frequency-guided threats.

Key Takeaways

Its open systems, ultra-wideband design can detect and counter more threats to keep warfighters safe.
Chosen by United States Special Operations Command and the Royal Australian Air Force to protect C-130 aircraft.

AN/ALQ-251 Radio Frequency Countermeasures

Northrop Grumman’s AN/ALQ-251 provides superior situational awareness and protection against electronic warfare systems and radar-guided weapons, often in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments. As more advanced radio frequency threats proliferate, this level of protection will be essential for safe operations.

The Flexibility to Adapt to Future Threats

The modular, open systems approach to the suite is designed to provide radar warning, threat identification and countermeasure capabilities, with the flexibility to adapt to future threats. The ultra-wideband architecture can detect more advanced and agile threats, including millimeter wave systems. Commonality with other programs of record ensures affordable sustainment and rapid response to evolving threats. The system is applicable to the large aircraft in service with U.S. and international operators, such as the C-130 and C-17.

interior of C-130J showing airman monitoring aircraft systems

AN/ALQ-251 Benefits

Digital receiver greatly improves sensitivity and tuning speed. The digital receiver also provides high fidelity RF signal measurement for tighter mission data programming to characterize emitters and reduce ambiguities
Handles new and complex emitters, including millimeter wave frequency
Displays signal Angle of Arrival (AOA) for signals
Supports precision AOA and geolocation
Provides capability to use a robust set of user-programmable techniques to engage the full spectrum of RF threats
Provides capacity to countermeasure multiple RF threats simultaneously
High-power ultra-wideband transmitters
Integrated RF countermeasure processor
Supports multiple interfaces available to meet the user’s current and future requirements
Advanced processing and discrimination capability to perform detection, direction determination, classification and response
Flight line reprogrammable Operational Flight Program and threat library
Reduces crew workload through easy-to-understand threat symbology and digital voice audio