Flare (countermeasure)
In the military, a flare countermeasure is a very hot, burning object which is shot out from a warplane or helicopter. Warplanes and helicopters shoot out flares if the enemy has fired a heat-seeking missile at them. The flare may trick the missile into hitting into the hot, burning flare. This helps to protect warplanes and helicopters from enemy missiles. If a warplane or helicopter has had a radar-guided missile fired at them, they may shoot out chaff. Chaff is thin strips or fibres of metal which make if hard for the enemy missile to target the plane or helicopter.
Flare (countermeasure) Media
An infrared guided AIM-9M Sidewinder missile hitting a flare
A US Army AH-64 Apache releasing decoy flares
Russian Knights fire their flares as a salute to Igor Tkachenko.
C-130 flare and chaff dispensers
HMS Dragon's Westland Lynx helicopter fires flares during an exercise over the Type 45 destroyer
A Dutch Eurocopter AS532 Cougar fires its flares during a night exercise.
Polish Air Force MiG-29 at the 2014 Rome International Air Show
An F-15E Strike Eagle releasing flares
Schematic view of a MJU-7A/B decoy flare cartridge : anodised aluminium cartridge (1); an electrical impulse cartridge (2), providing both expulsion and, in some cases, direct ignition of the payload; a pusher plate acting as a safe&arm device (3); the payload (4) with first fire layer (5); the wrapping self-adhesive polyester reinforced aluminum foil (6); and a front washer (7).
