Fort Carson, Colorado. (July 9, 2024):  Every military aircraft carries precious cargo, from billions in equipment to the irreplaceable lives of our servicemembers. Protecting America’s ability to safely transport troops and equipment is the Air Force’s top priority. In this photo Technical Sergeant Justin Norton, a C-130H Hercules belonging to the 302nd Airlift Wing expends chaff and flares during a training sortie as a part of Exercise Ivy Mass 2024. Most American combat aircraft have countermeasures to protect the crew from ground fire and heat-seeking or radar guided missiles. The main three categories of countermeasures are Infrared, Electronic, and Chaff.

Infrared Countermeasures are designed to protect aircraft from heat homing missiles by confusing the missiles' infrared guidance system so that they miss their target. These measures include firing flares which create multiple “fake” targets for the incoming missile. Heat-seeking missiles were responsible for about 80% of air losses in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War.

Electronic countermeasures involve protecting communication networks from interception and jamming by enemy forces. Used offensively, these electronic devices are designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems. They are also used to disrupt enemy communications to create a fog of confusion to break up coordinated attacks. The system may make many separate targets appear to the enemy, or make the real target appear to disappear or move about randomly. This is especially helpful when dodging missiles.

The final, and most rudimentary, countermeasure is Chaff which is used to confuse active radar homing missiles before they can reach their targets. Chaff are thin strips of aluminum or metalized glass fibers that are dispensed in great bursts to present a large radar cross section intended to blind or disrupt radar systems. Navy ships are also equipped with Chaff dispensers for the same reason.

The success of any military operation depends on the ability to safely transport troops and equipment and these countermeasures are vital to protecting America’s most precious cargo.