Model of IR Jammer fitted to the Wessex?
The Loral ALQ-157 or Saunders ALQ-144 would be a good bet in the 80s. The former was mainly C-130, Chinook and SK4, the latter Army Lynx.
When the RN wanted IRJ as a role fit for their Lynx, they borrowed 144s from the Army, despite having their own 157s. Beyond that, I don't know why. Perhaps because Army 2nd Line workshops were in-theatre, whereas SK4 support was minimal.
When the RN wanted IRJ as a role fit for their Lynx, they borrowed 144s from the Army, despite having their own 157s. Beyond that, I don't know why. Perhaps because Army 2nd Line workshops were in-theatre, whereas SK4 support was minimal.
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Not "Saunders", Sanders Associates, which is now, after several intermediate steps, BAE Systems North America.
If you post a photo certainly many here can identify it unambiguously.
If you post a photo certainly many here can identify it unambiguously.
WATCHDOG
It was a bespoke IRJ produced by BAe without the US naming conventions. It was successfully proven in combat circa 1992. The 157 was only fitted to CH47 and SK4, and the 144 fitted to the Puma and Lynx.
Proven in Combat
It functioned perfectly - decoying the SAM 7 approximately 100 yards to the rear - I seemed to recall.
We moved to a more ‘line abreast’ formation after that !!
(and when Insay ‘we’ I mean SHFNI in general)
It functioned perfectly - decoying the SAM 7 approximately 100 yards to the rear - I seemed to recall.
We moved to a more ‘line abreast’ formation after that !!
(and when Insay ‘we’ I mean SHFNI in general)
Wasn't that the day the Sun came out and the missile seeker couldn't discriminate between the two slow-moving heat-sources?
I sat in a Wessex as an IR decoy for a Chinny in S. Armagh - mid 80's - while he recovered a downed Lynx. Mostly not a comfortable feeling but they hadn't added a jammer to the chinny in those days.
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In my day it was the crewman sat in the cabin door with an IR flare in the flare gun held above the door in a couple of spring clips. I believe that in the mid 80s there was an American sourced bolt on spinny mirror thingy but I'm not sure about that.
Last edited by Donkey9871; 26th Feb 2019 at 18:38. Reason: Typo
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Please! Everyone knows the reason the WX went to NI was because there was no chance that the locals would notice that the sun moved across the sky FAR faster than the Wessex did...... only because one of the two was never seen in the sky over Ulster.
Avoid imitations
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It also proved effective against a SAM14 - which we weren't told were in the province until the search team I took in post missile attack on a pair of Wessex in 1991 found the irrefutable evidence in a hedge.
19 July 1991
Shy and EESDL,
You are both referring to the same incident which occurred on 19 July 1991 at 1420 hrs local near Kinawley in County Fermanagh. The late Scott Weir was leading a pair of Wessex responding to a classic PIRA ”come on” at a Border Crossing Point when they were engaged. Initial reports were that it was an RPG but given the signature and trajectory, Scotty was adamant it was a MANPAD. The WIS didn’t believe him at first which made it an amusing debrief, it wasn’t helped that AP reported it as an RPG too which further added to the confusion. Scotty was vindicated 7 weeks later when a farmer handed in a tail fin from near the scene of the attack. It was identified as a SA7b Strela 2M that was part of the 14 tonnes of weapons from the Colonel in response to ELDORADO CANYON. In Steven Taylor’s book “Air War in NI” he attributes the failure of the attack to the AN/ ALQ-144 which is wrong as the Wessex was only ever equipped with the BAe IRJ, which patently did its job.
You are both referring to the same incident which occurred on 19 July 1991 at 1420 hrs local near Kinawley in County Fermanagh. The late Scott Weir was leading a pair of Wessex responding to a classic PIRA ”come on” at a Border Crossing Point when they were engaged. Initial reports were that it was an RPG but given the signature and trajectory, Scotty was adamant it was a MANPAD. The WIS didn’t believe him at first which made it an amusing debrief, it wasn’t helped that AP reported it as an RPG too which further added to the confusion. Scotty was vindicated 7 weeks later when a farmer handed in a tail fin from near the scene of the attack. It was identified as a SA7b Strela 2M that was part of the 14 tonnes of weapons from the Colonel in response to ELDORADO CANYON. In Steven Taylor’s book “Air War in NI” he attributes the failure of the attack to the AN/ ALQ-144 which is wrong as the Wessex was only ever equipped with the BAe IRJ, which patently did its job.
"Air War in NI"? Over-egging the pudding a bit, methinks. Occasionally fun to have been part of, slightly scary at times, but not a war. Not even close.
Wasn't aware that Scott Weir was no more, though - amazing what you can learn on PPRuNe.
Wasn't aware that Scott Weir was no more, though - amazing what you can learn on PPRuNe.
