BriteCloud is a self-contained expendable Digital Radio Frequency Memory (

DRFM Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) is an electronic method for digitally capturing and retransmitting RF signals. DRFM systems are typically used in radar jamming, although applications in cellular communications are becoming more common. ...

) jammer developed by Selex ES (merged into

Leonardo Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard. People Notable people with the name include: * Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), Italian Renaissance scientist ...

since 2017) to help protect military aircraft. The decoy was launched by Selex ES at a conference held at the Churchill War Rooms, London on 6 November 2013.

Background

Military aircraft face a highly developed airborne and surface-based RF threat. Mobile

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

s with highly accurate RF tracking systems present a formidable threat when used in pop-up mode and many older systems have been retrofitted with modern electronics that have greatly enhanced their capabilities. The modern systems are particularly difficult to counter and have an array of Electronic Protection Measures (EPM) at their disposal.

Description

BriteCloud has been developed to protect platforms against these modern tracking systems. Its technology builds on previous generations of

electronic countermeasures An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...

such as repeaters and Towed Radar Decoys (TRD). When launched, the battery-powered decoy searches for and counters priority threats. Incoming radar pulses are received and the BriteCloud’s onboard computer copies these pulses and uses them to simulate a ‘false target’ so that the threat system cannot detect the deception. By doing this, BriteCloud can ‘seduce’ the most modern threats away from the host platform, generating large miss distances. It is available in two versions: the BriteCloud 55 decoy launched from standard 55mm diameter

chaff Chaff (; ) is the dry, scaly protective casing of the seeds of cereal grains or similar fine, dry, scaly plant material (such as scaly parts of flowers or finely chopped straw). Chaff is indigestible by humans, but livestock can eat it. In agri ...

flare A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala in some Latin-speaking countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illumination, ...

cartridge dispensers, and the BriteCloud 218 decoy launched from smaller 2”×1”×8” square-format standard cartridge dispensers. In 2019, the development of a more powerful version of the BriteCloud 55 was announced, called the 55-T. This provides protection for bigger military aircraft with larger

Radar cross-section Radar cross-section (RCS), also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected. An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy back to the source. ...

s, eg. the

C-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desi ...

Development and Testing

The first trials of the BriteCloud 55 decoy on the

Eurofighter Typhoon The Eurofighter Typhoon is a European multinational twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter. The Typhoon was designed originally as an air-superiority fighter and is manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo ...

took place in April 2019. Integration work on the aircraft is ongoing, as part of Project Centurion. Once in service with the RAF, BriteCloud will be one of the countermeasures available to the Typhoon’s

Praetorian DASS The EuroDASS Praetorian DASS is an integral part of Eurofighter Typhoon defensive Aid Sub-System (DASS) providing threat assessment, aircraft protection and support measures in extremely hostile and severe environments. As the DASS is fully int ...

. The BriteCloud 218 version was first tested on a Royal Danish Air Force F-16, successfully deploying the decoy after a real

Surface-to-Air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

targeting system was used to lock on to the aircraft. The BriteCloud 218 decoy has now been approved by the US

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

for deployment on its

F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successf ...

fleet, after the US Defense Department's Foreign Comparative Testing trials that began in 2019. It uses standard-size rectangular (square-format) rounds, compatible with common dispensers for example the

AN/ALE-47 The AN/ALE-47 Airborne Countermeasures Dispenser System is used to protect military aircraft from incoming radar and infrared homing missiles. It works by dispensing flares or chaff. It is used on a variety of U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army aircr ...

, and is thus useable on other 4th Generation fighters including the

F-15 The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...

F/A-18 The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twin-engine, supersonic, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft (hence the F/A designation). Designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part ...

and

A-10 The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is a single-seat, twin-turbofan, straight-wing, subsonic attack aircraft developed by Fairchild Republic for the United States Air Force (USAF). In service since 1976, it is named for the Republic ...

. Its US designation will be the AN/ALQ-260(V)1. The decoy has been integrated on the

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Un ...

and MQ-9B Sky/SeaGuardian UCAVs after testing in late 2020. It's deployed by an AN/ALE-47 dispenser, part of the aircraft's Self-Protection Pod.

Partners

Selex ES announced at the 2013 launch event that defense and security company Saab will be the first partner to offer the new decoy as an optional

electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent ...

enhancement for all versions of the

Gripen The Saab JAS 39 Gripen (; English: ''griffin'') is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab AB. The Gripen has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stabilit ...

, both new and existing.BriteCloud on Leonardo
/ref>

References

External links