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PYROPHORIC DECOYS
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©R & D pour
la défense Canada -Valcartier |
Did you know.
...that some military aircraft have more than one trick
up their sleeves for avoiding missiles?
Hide and seek
Missiles with infrared guidance systems pose one of the
greatest threats to military aircraft and their pilots.
These weapons home in on their targets by detecting the
heat from the aircraft's engines. The most common decoys*
used to fool these missiles produce little explosions
as they are launched from the aircraft, providing additional
sources of heat and luring the missile away from the real
target. But new missile models have been designed to ignore
this trick and remain locked on the aircraft.
*Decoy: a lure or dummy for distracting an adversary.
A plastic duck floating on a pond to attract live ones
is a perfect example of a decoy.
Fire!
Researchers with Defence Research and Development Canada
came up with new decoys to fool these new missiles. They
contain a liquid that bursts into flame on contact with
air. When the liquid catches fire, its infrared "signature",
invisible to the naked eye, resembles that of an aircraft
engine. The missile detects this false signature and is
pulled off track.
Caution: highly inflammable
The researchers faced a number of challenges in designing
the new decoys. First of all, they had to find a way to
transport and launch this very unstable liquid without
causing the aircraft to explode. Second, they had to make
sure the liquid would burn in the rarefied air at high
altitudes. Today their technique for storing the liquid
in the aircraft has been patented and some Canadian Armed
Forces aircraft are equipped with the new system.
Thanks!
The decoys are on loan from Defence Research and Development
Canada - Valcartier.
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