Leonardo begins BriteCloud decoy deliveries to RAF
Leonardo has begun delivering its BriteCloud decoy to the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), the company announced on 28 March.
The countermeasure protects fighter jets from modern radar-guided missiles. BriteCloud stows a sophisticated electronic radar jamming system into a package just a few inches long. The decoy can fit into a fighter aircraft’s standard chaff and flare dispenser and can be ejected at the push of a button if the aircraft is locked onto by a modern radar guided missile.
Upon launch, BriteCloud powers up and its automatic jammer produces a ‘ghost’ signal to defeat an enemy’s radar, and can protect its host aircraft even in situations where traditional chaff and flare countermeasures would be ineffective.
The technology is called an active expendable decoy; 'active' because of the electronic jammer and 'expendable' because the decoy is fired away from the combat jet to create a large ‘miss distance’ for an incoming missile.
The acceptance of BriteCloud into service follows a series of tests carried out by the RAF in the US in June 2017, which saw dozens of BriteCloud decoys launched from Tornado GR4 aircraft by the RAF’s 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron against high-tech radar guidance systems.
The RAF will be the first air force in the world to field this new protective technology.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy]()
Israel sets up new department to boost development of AI and autonomy
Israel will continue to develop autonomy for its weapons and platforms as it brings together defence personnel, academia and industry.
-
![Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s]()
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
![Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch]()
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
-
![BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme]()
BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
-
![Just Released: Space Technology Report]()
Just Released: Space Technology Report
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
