Electronic Warfare
SrA Steven Rucker and SSgt. Justin Musall, electronic warfare technicians with 169th Maintenance Squadron's Electronic Warfare shop at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, S.C., lowers an ALQ-184 electronic countermeasure (ECM) pod from a lift to be moved to the testing equipment area for a120-day Preventative Maintenance Inspection (PMI) on January 6, 2012. PMI's are conducted every 120 and a major inspection at 360 days, where a specific series of tests are performed on various components at pre-set frequencies, ensuring the ECM pod is receiving and correctly responding to threat signals. Electronic Warfare provides safety to our pilots and F-16's in combat and training missions by providing total structural and electronic maintenance and repairs to the ALQ-184 ECM pod. The ALQ-184 ECM pod is equipped with forward and aft antennas, which receive radar signals and allows the pod to manipulate those and send back false information making it difficult for the enemy to lock-in on our jets. (SCANG photo by TSgt. Caycee Cook)