ARIE EGOZI /TELAVIV
Israel Military Industries (IMI) is upgrading its I-TALD air-launched decoy using lessons from the Iraq war. The system, used in the conflict by the US Navy, will have improved capability to create false target signatures on advanced air-defence detection systems.
IMI has been sole developer and manufacturer of I-TALD decoys for the USN and has received around $120 million in orders for the system. I-TALD is an upgraded version of the TALD decoy, which has also been used over Iraq. The system is launched from a fighter aircraft to confuse and suppress enemy air defence systems ahead of air strikes.
The 2.3m (92in)-long, 170kg (380lb) I-TALD appears to the enemy's radar screens as a fighter, attracting anti-aircraft fire and missiles as well as diverting attention away from the fighters. The decoy manoeuvres like a fighter over a 35min, pre-programmed flightpath guided by a GPS satellite-based navigation system. It has an 300km (160nm) stand-off range and flies at up to Mach 0.8 at 500-30,000ft (150-9,200m).
Meanwhile, the USN is to acquire a limited number of IMI Light Defender strike weapons for evaluation firings from helicopters. Trials are due to begin early next year.
IMI is teamed with Lockheed Martin to adapt the Delilah long-range precision strike missile as the Light Defender to meet the USN requirement. Delilah has a common lineage with I-TALD.
Few Light Defender performance details are available, but it is understood to have improved capabilities over the Delilah, which flies at Mach 0.8, has a range of more than 400km, and which can loiter before striking its target.
Light Defender will be fitted with a Bet Shemesh Engines rocket motor to boost the weapon to a sustainable speed when launched from slow-flying or hovering helicopters.
Source: Flight International