Advanced Chaff Technology: All About DRDO’s New Defence Tech To Safeguard IAF Fighter Jets

The DRDO defence lab in Jodhpur had earlier developed a similar technology for Indian Navy ships

A view of the newly developed Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) against hostile radar threats, by DRDOs Defence Laboratory in Jodhpur. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed what it calls an ‘advanced chaff technology’ that aims to protect fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) from hostile radar threats. 

In accordance with the quality requirements of the IAF, the DRDO’s Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, indigenously created the advanced chaff material and chaff cartridge-118/I in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), a Pune-based DRDO laboratory. 

The initiative is a part of the Narendra Modi government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement. 

User trials were conducted, upon the successful completion of which the IAF has started the process to induct this “critical defence technology”.

“The importance of this technology lies in the fact that very less quantity of chaff material deployed in the air acts as a decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for ensuring the safety of the fighter aircraft,” the MoD statement read.

The ministry said the survivability of fighter aircraft is of prime concern in today’s electronic warfare because of the advancement in modern radar threats. To ensure this, the industry uses Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS), which provides passive jamming against infra-red and radar threats. 

According to the ministry, the industry has been given the technology for production in large quantities so the IAF’s annual rolling requirement is met.

Appreciating the DRDO, the IAF and the industry for their efforts, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this technology marks an important step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. DRDO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, Dr G Satheesh Reddy also congratulated everyone involved in the development of this technology.

Tech Used In Naval Ships Too

Similar technology was developed by the DRDO for the Indian Navy a few months back, to protect naval ships from any missile attack. Three variants of this technology — Short Range Chaff Rocket, Medium-Range Chaff Rocket and Long Range Chaff Rocket — were developed by the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. 

All three variants were tested on an Indian Naval Ship in the Arabian Sea and found to be satisfactory. 

Certain radar and radio frequencies pose threat to assets like fighter aircraft and naval ships, and the electronic technology used to protect such assets from potential threats is called advanced chaff technology. 

Chaffs and flares are both defensive technologies, but a major difference between the two is that the infra-red signal generated by flares brings the missiles towards it, while chaff technology directs the enemy threats in a different direction. The chaffs are made up of aluminium and zinc-coated fibres, and are mounted atop the aircraft.