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DRDO Rolls Out Infra-Red Decoy Flares

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India is currently developing an indigenous infra-red (IR) decoy flare to protect aircraft from heat-seeking missiles.

The IR decoy flare is being developed at High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) which is the premier laboratory of the state-owned Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO).

The IR decoy flares are used in combat situations to confuse heat-seeking missile systems.

The system is of critical importance as all aircraft emit infra-red signatures in their exhaust which makes them easily detectable.

The IR decoy flares emit similar infra-red radiation and confuse heat-seeking missiles and protect the aircraft under attack conditions. The IR decoy flares emit infra-red intensity of a stronger proportion and tricks the missile to follow the flares instead of the aircraft.

HEMRL officials said that the confirmatory trials for the IR decoy flares were completed in January 2009 using ground-based systems.

The IR decoy flares were developed under the mandate issued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2005.

Since the cost of the imported IR flares was highly expensive, India decided to develop an indigenous version to substitute them. The result was an IR decoy flare superior to its contemporaries.

Officials indicated that over 150 flares were being prepared for further tests under extreme environmental conditions, such as weather and transportation.

Critical tests are being carried out to ensure that flares do not fire on their own when brought under electric and magnetic fields.

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