AN/ALE-37A COUNTERMEASURES CHAFF DISPENSING SET

The AN/ALE-37A countermeasures chaff dispensing set (fig. 10-40) is externally mounted on aircraft MER/TER ejector racks that have 14-inch suspensions. When mounted on the aircraft, the AN/ALE-37A has various patterns of chaff, decoy flares, or expendable jammers. Dispensing is dependent upon control settings and aircraft speed. Several dispensing pods may be employed on a single aircraft to provide maximum countermeasure capabilities.

The dispensing set is of modular construction, making maintenance easier and reducing turnaround time. Each dispensing pod contains two lightweight payload modules. Each payload module has a capacity of 120 rounds, providing a total capacity of 240 rounds. When empty, the pod weighs 180 pounds. When fully loaded, the pod weighs approximately 277 pounds.

Figure 10-38.-Sequencer switch. 10-34

Figure 10-39.-Dispensing set programmer.

Figure 10-40.-AN/ALE-37A countermeasures chaff dispensing set.

Component Description

The functional theory and a physical description of individual dispensing set components are discussed in the following paragraphs. As you read about the components, look at figure 10-41. It shows their location and identifies them by item number.

Chaff Dispensing Pod

The chaff dispensing pod is constructed of heat-treated aluminum alloy formed sheet metal, extruded shapes, and machined parts. The pod is designed for quick reloading by using the spare loaded modules with squib boards installed. The pod hardback

(item 3) has a rigid surface for mounting the pod to the bomb rack. The nose cone (item 1) houses the intervalometer, interlock switch, and provides aerodynamics to the pod. The tail cone (item 4) is identical to the nose cone, except it has extra markings and a hole for the insertion of a lanyard pin. An electrical connector at the aft end of the pod is used to interface with the aircraft's 28-volt dc power supply for pod operation. Power is routed internally, through the electrical wiring (item 14), from the connector to the intervalometer (item 2).

Figure 10-41.-AN/ALE-37A countermeasures dispensing set, exploded view.