ALQ-165

Originally developed for the F-14 Tomcat, the AN/ALQ-165 Advanced Self Protection Jammer was an electronic warfare system that never went into widespread use, having failed many operational tests. U.S. Air Force requirements went away with the retirement of the F-111.

While versions had been made for the F-18 Hornet in U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps use, and it was used in the Balkans and bought by Switzerland, Finland and South Korea, it has not been a notably successful system. Turkey and other countries bought the AN/ALQ-178(V) instead.

Test, Evaluation and Legislation
Indeed, Congress, in 1992, explicitly legislated that no funds could be used for other than terminating the ALQ-165 program. Nevertheless, it did continue in various forms.

In fairness, some research has suggested that the complexity of electronic warfare systems make it extremely difficult to use standardized acceptance procedures.

ALQ-165 and the Super Hornet
Versions of the ALQ-165 were deployed on early F-18 Super Hornet aircraft, but the AN/ALQ-214 was seen as the production jammer for the later Super Hornets. Those early Super Hornets would have a Block I Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures system of an ALQ-165 and an AN/ALE-50 towed decoy.

IDECM Block II, a second interim configuration, will replace the ASPJ with the ALQ-214 (V)2, providing on board jamming capability; the decoy would be replaced in Block III.