Mercury Mission Systems has launched its new reprogrammable electronic attack (EA) training system, the mPod, to hone pilots’ combat skills in realistic warfare scenarios.
In late October, mPod-equipped F-5 aircraft underwent a three-day flight test, assessing its capabilities under “visual range tactical intercept training engagements replicating adversary tactics.”
The training pod’s configured EA capability accurately emulates enemy jamming techniques and evolving threat representative systems to prepare aircrews for real combat.
“Mercury’s mPOD EA training system successfully broke, delayed, and denied opposing fighter radar locks, created multiple false targets on the opposing fighter radar, and performed other electronic attack techniques,” the company said.
Nevada-based Tactical Air Support oversaw the testing.
“Our close working relationship with Mercury has resulted in a state of the art, internally configured EA capability fully integrated with our open architecture sensor suite,” Tactical Air CEO RC Thompson said.
“The result is threat realism with no performance penalty on our aircraft.”
The mPod
Built with National Air and Space Intelligence Center-validated Filthy Buzzard digital RF memory technology, the new jammer training pod is capable of mimicking multiple threats simultaneously.
The pod’s intuitive software interface enables pilots to reprogram training missions and threats for different aircraft and radar systems in just minutes.
“The software interface speeds integration with the aircraft display and cockpit control panel (a pre-integration option is also available) and enables pilots to switch training missions mid-flight,” the company states on its website.
The 347-cm (137-inch) mPod maximizes aircraft performance and reduces sustainment costs, as it can be easily attached to the aircraft weapon’s pylon or integrated internally into any aircraft.
“mPOD is an innovative solution that can be programmed quickly and will help US and allied military pilots develop tactics to maintain a strategic advantage over adversaries,” Mercury Vice President Mark Bruington said.
“It will also increase pilot and aircraft survivability and reduce training costs through integrated threat presentations.”