AN/ALE-44 Dispensing Pod
The AN/ALE-44 (ALE-44) is a dispensing pod for use on tactical, support, drones, and strike aircraft capable of supersonic flight. It is a lightweight unit for use with both chaff and flare countermeasure stores, and meets Hazard of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO) requirements. A typical system consists of a control unit and two dispenser pods. Each pod houses two dispenser modules and a sequencer.
The pod features single or dual channel dispensing and quick turn-around time. A low frontal profile, small size, and central mounting pod provide for pod mounting on a wingtip, stores pylon, or fuselage. Payloads for the system, the RR-129 chaff package and Mk 46 IR flare, are both U.S. Navy inventory items. The payload capacity for each pod is 32 chaff and/or flare expendables which are ejected by impulse cartridges. The dispensers (loaded) can be installed in the pod without removal from the aircraft. A cockpit control unit permits selection of various burst rates, burst intervals, and units per burst, with simultaneous dispensing of flares and chaff.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/an-ale-44.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Saturday, January 09, 1999 10:27:01 AM