How does the ALQ-218 receive signals?

How does the ALQ-218 receive signals?

• A. Internal sensors only
• B. Antennas mounted around the aircraft on the forward and aft fuselage and on the wingtips.
• C. Satellite uplinks
• D. Ground radar.

Answer: (B)

The ALQ-218 uses a distributed antenna system around the aircraft to receive signals. Antennas are placed on the forward and aft fuselage as well as the wingtips, giving near-360-degree RF coverage. This arrangement lets the system pick up emissions from any direction, feed them to the processor for identification and direction finding, and then cue the EW suite accordingly. It isn’t limited to internal sensors or reliant on satellite links or ground radar—the surrounding antennas are what capture the signals in the first place.

The ALQ-218 uses a distributed antenna system around the aircraft to receive signals. Antennas are placed on the forward and aft fuselage as well as the wingtips, giving near-360-degree RF coverage. This arrangement lets the system pick up emissions from any direction, feed them to the processor for identification and direction finding, and then cue the EW suite accordingly. It isn’t limited to internal sensors or reliant on satellite links or ground radar—the surrounding antennas are what capture the signals in the first place.