NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Countermeasure

A countermeasure is a system (usually for a military application) designed to prevent sensor-based weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 Ã— 853 pixel, file size: 113 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) F-16 dispensing countermeasures in a simulated defensive maneuver. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 Ã— 853 pixel, file size: 113 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) F-16 dispensing countermeasures in a simulated defensive maneuver. ... Image:Flag of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. ... The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a modern multi-role jet fighter aircraft built in the United States and used by dozens of countries all over the world. ... Radom Air Show (called in Polish simply Air Show) is a celebration which since 2005 ia going to happen each two years. ... // Distinguish from censure and censer and censor. ... The bayonet is used as both knife and spear. ...

Countermeasures that alter the electromagnetic signature of a target thereby altering the tracking and sensing behavior of an incoming threat (e.g. guided missile) are designated softkill measures. A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ...

Measures that physically counterattack an incoming threat thereby destroying/altering its payload/warhead in such a way that the intended effect on the target is majorly impeded are designated hardkill measures.

Softkill measures

Softkill measures are applied when it is expected that a sensor-based weapon system can be successfully interfered with. The threat sensor can be either an artificial one, e.g. a solid-state infrared detector, or the human sensory system (eye and/or ear). Solid state may refer to: In computing: Solid state devices are data storage device components that uses memory chips, such as SDRAMs, to store data. ... An infrared detector is a detector that reacts to infrared (IR) radiation. ...

Softkill measures generally interfere with the signature of the target to be protected. In the following the term signature refers to the electromagnetic signature of an object in either the ultraviolet (wavelength: 0.3-0.4 µm), visual (0.4-0.8 µm), or infrared (0.8 - 14 µm) spectral range as well as cm-radar range (frequency: 2-18 GHz), mmw-radar (35, 94, 144 GHz) and finally sonar range (either 50Hz - 3 kHz and/or 3- 15 kHz). UV redirects here. ... Vision can refer to: Visual perception is one of the senses. ... Image of two girls in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... This long range Radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine and map the location, direction, and/or speed... The F70 type frigates (here, La Motte-Picquet) are fitted with VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) type DUBV43 or DUBV43C towed sonars SONAR (SOund Navigation And Ranging) â€” or sonar â€” is a technique that uses sound propagation under water (primarily) to navigate, communicate or to detect other vessels. ...

Softkill countermeasures can be divided into on-board and expendable countermeasures. Whereas on-board measures are fixed on the platform to be protected, expendable measures are ejected from the platform.

Preemptive action of countermeasures is directed to generally prevent lock-on of a threat sensor to a certain target. It is based on altering the signature of the target by either concealing the platform signature or enhancing the signature of the background, thus minimizing the contrast between the two.

Reactive action of countermeasures is directed toward break-lock of a threat already homing in on a certain target. It is based on the tactics of signature imitation, augmentation, or reduction.

Aerial countermeasures

Generally one has to distinguish between infrared and radar countermeasures. As infrared (IR), the wavelength range between 0.8 and 5 µm is considered. As radar, the frequency range between 2 and 18 GHz is considered. Image of two girls in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ...

In the wake of missile attacks against civilian passenger and cargo airliners in the early 2000s, various agencies investigated the feasibility of equipping countermeasures chaff and flares. Many commercial carriers found the estimated price of countermeasures to be too costly. However, the Israeli airline El-Al, having been the target of a failed missile attack in Mombassa, Kenya in 2002, began equipping its fleet with radar-based, automated flare release countermeasures from June 2004^[1]. This caused concerns in some European countries, which proceeded to ban such aircraft from landing at their airports^[2]. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 310 pixel Image in higher resolution (2548 Ã— 988 pixel, file size: 240 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Transall_C-160_Chaffs_&_flares_pod Photo by Jaypee File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 310 pixel Image in higher resolution (2548 Ã— 988 pixel, file size: 240 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Transall_C-160_Chaffs_&_flares_pod Photo by Jaypee File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects... The Transall C-160 is a military transport aircraft developed by a consortium of French and German aircraft manufacturers for the air forces of those two nations and that of South Africa. ... An SA-7 in use Russian Manportable SAM System SA-18/GROUSE MANPADS (Human-Portable Air-Defence System) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. ... An Airbus A340 airliner operated by Air Jamaica An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chaff is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin bits of aluminum or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary targets on radar screens or swamps the screen with multiple returns. ... A World War I-era parachute flare dropped from aircraft for illumination. ... El Al Israel Airlines (××œ ×¢×œ, Hebrew: Skyward) is the national airline of Israel. ... An SA-7 in use Russian Manportable SAM System SA-18/GROUSE MANPADS (Human-Portable Air-Defence System) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles. ... Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... A World War I-era parachute flare dropped from aircraft for illumination. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with a length of 30 days. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

IR-decoy flares

IR-decoy flares serve to counter infrared-guided surface-to-air missiles (SAM) or air-to-air missiles (AAM) and can be expelled from a craft according to an anticipated threat in defined sequences. Image of two girls in mid-infrared (thermal) light (false color) Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. ... Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ... A US Navy VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcat fighter launches an AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile. ...

As stored, chemical-energy-source IR-decoy flares contain pyrotechnic compositions, liquid or solid pyrophoric substances, and/or liquid or solid highly flammable substances^[3]. The word pyrotechnic (literally meaning fire technology) refers to any chemical explosive device, but especially fireworks. ... A pyrophoric substance is a substance that ignites spontaneously, that is, its autoignition temperature is below room temperature. ... Flammable or Flammability refers to the ease at which a substance will ignite, causing fire or combustion. ...

Upon ignition of the decoy flare, a strongly exothermal reaction is started, releasing infrared energy and visible smoke and flame, emission being dependent on the chemical nature of the payload used.

There is a wide variety of calibres and shapes available for aerial decoy flares. Due to volume storage restrictions onboard platforms, many aircraft of American origin use square decoy flare cartridges. Nevertheless, cylindrical cartridges are also available onboard American aircraft, such as MJU 23/B on the B-1 Lancer or MJU-8A/B on the F/A-18 Hornet; however, these are used mainly on board French aircraft and those of Russian origin, e.g. PPI-26 IW on the MiG 29. The Boeing (formerly Rockwell International) B-1B Lancer is a long-range strategic bomber in service with the United States Air Force (USAF). ... An F/A-18 taking off from USS Kitty Hawk The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F/A-18 Hornet is a modern all-weather carrier-capable strike fighter jet, designed to attack both ground and aerial targets. ... The Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum) is a Russian fighter aircraft used in the air superiority role. ...

Square calibres and typical decoy flares: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Cylindrical calibres and typical decoy flares: // MTV is an acronym for pyrolants based on magnesium/TeflonÂ®/VitonÂ®. Teflon and Viton are trademarks of DuPont for polytetrafluoroethylene, C2F4, and vinylidenfluoride-hexafluoroisopropene-copolymer, (CH2CF2)n(CF(CF3)CF2)n. ...

Pyrotechnic Payloads

Blackbody Payloads

Certain pyrotechnic compositions, for example Magnesium/Teflon/Viton (MTV), give a great flame emission upon combustion and yield a temperature-dependent signature and can be understood as Gray bodies of high emissivity (

e

~0.95). Such payloads are called blackbody payloads. Other payloads, like iron/potassium perchlorate pellets, only yield a low flame emission but also show temperature-dependent signature ^[4]. Nevertheless, the lower combustion temperature as compared to MTV results in a lower amount of energy released in the short-wavelength IR range. Other blackbody payloads include ammonium perchlorate/anthracene/magnesium and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene binder (HTPB) ^[5] // MTV is an acronym for pyrolants based on magnesium/TeflonÂ®/VitonÂ®. Teflon and Viton are trademarks of DuPont for polytetrafluoroethylene, C2F4, and vinylidenfluoride-hexafluoroisopropene-copolymer, (CH2CF2)n(CF(CF3)CF2)n. ... // MTV is an acronym for pyrolants based on magnesium/TeflonÂ®/VitonÂ®. Teflon and Viton are trademarks of DuPont for polytetrafluoroethylene, C2F4, and vinylidenfluoride-hexafluoroisopropene-copolymer, (CH2CF2)n(CF(CF3)CF2)n. ... The emissivity of a material (usually written ) is the ratio of energy radiated by the material to energy radiated by a black body at the same temperature. ... As the temperature decreases, the peak of the black body radiation curve moves to lower intensities and longer wavelengths. ... Ammonium perchlorate is a chemical compound with the formula NH4ClO4. ... In chemistry, anthracene is a solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of three benzene rings derived from coal-tar. ... General Name, Symbol, Number magnesium, Mg, 12 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 3, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 24. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Lockheed C-130 Hercules, a four-engine turboprop aircraft, is the main tactical air transport aircraft of the United States and UK military forces. ...

Spectrally balanced payloads

Now other payloads provide large amounts of hot carbon dioxide upon combustion and thus provide a temperature-independent selective emission in the wavelength range between 3 and 5 µm. Typical pyrotechnic payloads of this type resemble whistling compositions and are often made up from potassium perchlorate and hydrogen lean organic fuels ^[6]. Other spectrally balanced payloads are made up similarly as double base propellants and contain nitrocellulose (NC), and other esters of nitric acid ^[7] or nitro compounds als oxidizers such as e.g. hexanitroethane and nitro compounds and nitramines as high energy fuels ^[8]. The main advantage of the latter payloads is their low visibility due to the absence of metals such as sodium and potassium that may be either easily thermally excited and give prominent emissions or give condensed reaction products (such as carbonates and chlorides), which would cause a distinct smoke trail. Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ... A propellant is a material that is used to move an object by applying a motive force. ... Nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also: cellulose nitrate, flash paper) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through, for example, exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. ...

Pyrophoric Payloads

As with the pyrotechnic payloads these will also give either graybody radiation or selective emissions. In contrast to pyrotechnic payloads, pyrophoric substances use the oxygen from the environment for oxidation. Hence specific energy density of pyrophorics is always higher as compared to any pyrotechnic; however, pyrophorics suffer from low oxygen partial pressure at greater heights. A typical liquid pyrophoric fuel is triethylaluminum(TEA). Upon combustion of TEA, a selective IR spectrum is obtained, which is mainly determined from carbon dioxide and water vapour. Any transient or permanent combustion product of aluminum are not IR-active in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum ^[9].

Solid pyrophoric payloads are based on iron platelets coated with a porous aluminium layer. Based on the very high specific surface area of aluminum those platelets instantaneously oxidize upon contact with air. In contrast to TEA combustion, those platelets yield a temperature-dependent signature.

Highly flammable payloads

These payloads contain red phosphorus (RP) as an energetic filler. The RP is mixed with organic binders to give brushable pastes that can be coated on thin polyimide platelets. The combustion of those platelets yields a temperature-dependent signature. Endergonic additives such as highly dispersed silica or alkali halides may further lower the combustion temperature^[10]. General Name, Symbol, Number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 3, p Appearance waxy white/ red/ black/ colorless Atomic mass 30. ... Polyimide is a polymer of imide monomers. ... The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2. ...

Radar decoys

To counter radar-guided missiles, chaff is used. These are aluminum-coated glass fibers or silver-coated nylon fibers having lengths equal to half of the anticipated radar wavelength. This long range Radar antenna, known as ALTAIR, is used to detect and track space objects in conjunction with ABM testing at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein atoll[1]. Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine and map the location, direction, and/or speed... A missile (British English: miss-isle; U.S. English: missl) is, in general, a projectile—that is, something thrown or otherwise propelled. ... Chaff is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin bits of aluminum or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary targets on radar screens or swamps the screen with multiple returns. ...

Naval decoys

Land and sea-based forces can also use such countermeasures, as well as smoke-screens that can disrupt laser ranging, infrared detection, laser weapons, and visual observation. A U.S. Army Humvee laying a smoke screen A smoke-screen is a release of smoke in order to mask the movement or location of military units such as infantry, tanks or ships. ... For other uses, see Laser (disambiguation). ...

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)

Countermeasures are a complicating factor in the development of anti-ballistic missile defense systems targeting ICBMs. Like aircraft, ICBMs theoretically could evade such systems by deploying decoys and chaff in the midcourse phase of flight. Novel proposed chaff mechanisms describe the creation of a "threat cloud" by deploying large aluminized PET film balloons which could conceal a warhead among a large number of inert objects having similar radar profiles. An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a missile designed to counter ballistic missiles. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... Biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (boPET) polyester film is used for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, gas and aroma barrier properties and electrical insulation. ... Balloons are often used or given on special occasions, like cards or flowers. ...

Hardkill measures

Except for countering ICBMs, hardkill measures generally refer to measures taken in the so-called "end-game" shortly before a warhead/missile hits its target. The hardkill measure in general physically affects the incoming warhead/missile by means of either blast and/or fragment action. The action may lead to:

French anti-tank round with its sabot APFSDS at point of separation of sabot. ...

References

The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... Ynetnews is an English language Israel news and content website operated by Yedioth Ahronoth, Israelâ€™s most-read newspaper, and the Hebrew Israel news portal, Ynet. ...

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