EAS3504

SPACE LAUNCHED TECHNOLOGY

TERM PAPER

Tactical Air Launched Decoy

MUHAMMAD AZHAR BIN MAT MARZUKI

164369

ABSTRACT

The Tactical Air Launched Decoy (TALD) is a single stage rocket without warhead as
a payload. TALD is an air launched, preprogrammed, unpowered, glide chaff, RF
passive, or RF active vehicle used to deceive and saturate enemy integrated air
defenses during strike aircraft operations. It used in offensive operations against
enemy air defense system by diluting and confusing surface-based and airborne
defenses with realistic tactical target characteristics.

INTRODUCTION

The Tactical Air-Launched Decoy (TALD)/Improved TALD (ITALD) heavy

glide/boosted family of passive/active decoys are expendable decoys used in
offensive operations against enemy air defense systems by diluting and confusing
surface-based and airborne defenses with realistic tactical target characteristics. The
TALD is an air-launched, aerodynamic vehicle whose purpose is to minimize the
effectiveness of an enemy's air defense system. The TALD is a preprogrammed
glide vehicle used to increase the survivability of strike aircraft. The Improved TALD
(ITALD) is a TALD which incorporates a propulsion unit. Both systems operate as
expendable vehicles with no recovery capabilities. Launch platforms include the F/A18, F-14, EA-6B, and the P-3.

Figure 1: Typical tactical air-launched decoy (TALD).

Tactical Air Launched Decoy (TALD)

The TALD is an air launched, preprogrammed, unpowered, glide chaff, RF passive,

or RF active vehicle used to deceive and saturate enemy integrated air defenses
during strike aircraft operations. The three operational TALD configurations include,
the A/B37U-1 (V1) chaff vehicle, A/B37U-1 (V2) radar passive vehicle and the ADM141A radar active vehicle. While fit, form and function remain the same within
version, manufacturing differences have produced variants.
During Operation Desert Storm one effective tactic to fool enemy air defenses
involved Navy and Marine Corps (USMC) tactical air launched decoys. The decoys
caused Iraqi defenders to turn on their radars, revealing their locations and making
them vulnerable to Coalition SEAD aircraft. The tactic confused the Iraqis and helped
divert their defensive effort. In the early days of the air campaign, EA-6Bs, A-6Es,
and F/A-18s escorted large strike packages into southern Iraq. The F/A-18s, A-6Es,
A-7s, and S-3s successfully used TALDs to saturate, confuse, and deceive the air
defense system. This tandem combination of soft and hard kill capability proved
successful - no Coalition losses to radar-guided SAMs occurred during SEAD escort.

Figure 2: IMI TALD and IMI ITALD

Improved Tactical Air Launched Decoy (ITALD)

The ITALD is an air launched, preprogrammed, powered RF active vehicle used to

deceive and saturate enemy integrated air defenses during strike aircraft operations.
It is a Preplaned Product Improvement towhead that adds turbojet propulsion and
low-level navigation capability to the TALD.
Its official designation is ADM-141C. All four versions are compatible with and can be
launched from the A/A37B-6E Multiple Ejector Rack (MER), A/A37B-5E Triple
Ejector Rack (TER) or a BRU-42 Improved Triple Ejector Rack (ITER). All versions
are approximately 92 inches long with a nominal 10 inches include width and height.
The chaff vehicle weighs approximately 380 pounds, while all RF passive and active
versions weight approximately 400 pounds. A computer within each vehicle is
preprogrammed with flight profile data prior to loading. It provides flight management
and controls of the vehicle through a series of planned maneuvers after launch. The
ITALD has enhanced terrain tracking capability and an extended flight envelope for
expanded missions.

The Improved Tactical Airlaunch Decoy (ITALD) simulates a fighter/attack size

aircraft better than current decoys. The present TALD is becoming less capable even
when encountering existing threat integrated air defense systems (IADS).

Figure 3: ITALD Israel

SPECIFICATION

The basic TALD is an expendable unpowered glide vehicle with a square section
fuselage, flip-out wings, and three tail surfaces. It has a digital flight control system
which can be preprogrammed with various speed and manoeuvering profiles.
Launched from high-altitude (max. 12200 m (40000 ft)), the TALD has a glide range
of up to 126 km (68 nm), while the range at lower altitudes of about 600 m (2000 ft)
is still around 26 km (14 nm).

Data from ADM-141 TALD

Length
Wingspan
Weight
Speedkt)
Range
Propulsion

2.34 m (7 ft 8 in)
1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
180 kg (400 lb)
Up to Mach 0.8 (460 km/h, 250 kt)
126 km (78 mi) - (Over 300 km (185 mi) for the ADM-141C)
Teledyne CAE J700-CA-400 turbojet, 790 N (177 lbf) on ADM141C only

Figure 4: TALD/ITALD container

Configuration Identification of the Tactical Air Launched Decoy

The TALD is an aircraft-launched, pre-programmed, autopilot guided, unpowered

slide vehicle, which can be fitted with two payloads:

A Radar Cross Section (RCS) Enhancement Payload

A Chaff Payload Capable of Dispersing Chaff in a nearly continuous fashion

The TALD vehicle is compatible with TER/MER/I-TER launch equipment, and does
not require any modifications in the delivery aircraft. the TALD vehicle with the radar
decoy payload (TALDr) employs a forward passive augmentor payload mounted in
the nose cone. an active rf electronic repeater system, consisting of receiving and
transmitting antennae and separate band amplifiers can be installed if required. the
TALD vehicle with the chaff payload (TALDc) contains a packaged chaff payload and
a dispensing system which will disperse chaff, package-by-package, with several
dispersion rates.
The TALD is of a modular design, permitting easy reconfigurations between the
TALDR and TALDC versions, utilizing appropriate payloads. It comprises the
following major subsystems/assemblies:

strong back (upper fuselage) with hinged vehicl suspension lugs, wings and
wing actuation system;
electronic assembly/digital flight control system (autopilot/programmer
computer, servo and initiation circuitry bite etc.) and associated vehicle power
supply (batteries);
empennage assembly with 'the necessary stabilizing an,[- flight control
surfaces and actuator assemblies;

The TALDR completion/reconfiguration payload includes the following major

subsystems/assemblies:

nose cone with the passive augmentor;

Lower fuselage.
Active RF repeater if required.

The TALDC completion/reconfiguration payload includes the following major

subsystems/assemblies:

nose cone with or without the passive augmentor

Lower fuselage with the chaff payload and dispersion mechanism.
specific TALD operating and performance features are as follows:
Compliance with current military standards for carriage and release.

Figure 5: TALD configuration

Figure 6: F-14 launching a TALD

CONCLUSION

TALD/ ITALD are a modern strategic warfare currently used and developed by
United State (US) and Israel. Its ability to saturated enemy air defence had been
proved during US attack against Iraq. If we manage to developed and study this
technology, imagine what the possible outcome that we can harvested. With the
study of this technology we can develop anti-TALD system to protect our air defence
from enemy threat.

REFERENCE

U.S.-Israel Formal Agreements: Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the

Production of a Tactical Air Launched Decoy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2014,
from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/decoymou.html
Military. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2014, from
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/tald.htm
IMI (Brunswick) ADM-141 TALD (IMI ADM-141 TALD) http://www.designationsystems.net/dusrm/m-141.html
ADM-141 Tactical Air-Launched Decoy (TALD)/Improved TALD (ITALD). (n.d.).
Retrieved November 27, 2014, from http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/tald.htm