BriteCloud Expendable Active Decoy

-

Immediately enhancing survivability for fast jets and fixed‑wing aircraft, BriteCloud is a compact, battery‑powered digital countermeasure engineered to defeat radar‑guided missiles and hostile fire control systems. By deploying rapidly, the system creates a significant miss distance, diverting threats away from the aircraft and ensuring the platform remains protected during critical missions.

BriteCloud 218 (left) & BriteCloud 55 (right). Credit: Leonardo

The system is designed to be released from standard decoy dispensers, either the 55mm or 218 format, making integration straightforward across multiple aircraft types. Trials have already been conducted extensively by the United Kingdom and allied nations on combat platforms such as the F‑16, Tornado, and Gripen, confirming operational effectiveness. Production is underway, and units are available for immediate procurement.

Operational support is provided through a comprehensive electronic warfare framework. This includes threat vulnerability analysis, countermeasure development, and tailored training packages to ensure crews can maximize the system’s potential. Programming is simplified, while data and configuration management tools are available to maintain sovereign capability development for operators seeking independence in their electronic warfare strategies.

Among its defining features, BriteCloud operates as a fully self‑contained expendable active RF decoy. It requires no sustainment or maintenance, reducing long‑term costs and logistical burden. The antenna design ensures complete coverage, while the system can be employed either pre‑emptively or reactively depending on mission requirements. Procurement costs are significantly lower compared to traditional towed radar decoy technologies, making it a cost‑effective solution for modern air forces.

The Digital RF Memory jammer at the core of BriteCloud provides an off‑board capability that directly addresses vulnerabilities associated with conventional on‑board jamming systems, particularly against threats employing home‑on‑jam guidance. By operating independently from the aircraft, the decoy disrupts radar tracking and denies adversaries a reliable target lock, ensuring survivability against evolving radar threats.

Technical specifications highlight its adaptability. The BC55 variant measures 55mm in diameter and weighs 1.1 kilograms, while the BC218 version is sized at 2 inches by 1 inch by 8 inches with a weight of 0.5 kilograms. Both models operate across the H to J frequency bands, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of radar systems encountered in modern combat environments.

It is flexible, future‑proof, and mission‑reprogrammable, allowing optimization against emerging threats. Its effectiveness in denying and disrupting radar target tracking has been demonstrated, and its design ensures relevance against both current and anticipated adversary capabilities.

Leonardo BriteCloud Overview

Credit: Leonardo

Technology

  • Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM): Core technology that allows BriteCloud to capture radar signals and retransmit deceptive versions.
  • Purpose: Confuses enemy radar and missile guidance systems, making the aircraft appear invisible or replaced by false targets.
  • Frequency: Both models operate across the H to J frequency bands.

Variants

  • BriteCloud 55 (BC55)

    • Specs: 55mm diameter round, ~1.1 kg.
    • Explanation: Designed for fast jet dispensers, such as those on the Eurofighter Typhoon.

  • BriteCloud 218 (BC218)

    • Specs: Brick-shaped (2 x 1 x 8 inches), ~0.5 kg.
    • Explanation: Compatible with US ALE-47 dispensers, used on aircraft like the F-15 and F-16.

  • BriteCloud 55-T

    • Specs: Larger, more powerful version.
    • Explanation: Tailored for transport aircraft (e.g., C-27J, A400M) to counter stronger radar threats.

Function

  • Detection → Identifies radar signals from incoming threats.
  • Replication → Copies those signals using DRFM technology.
  • Deception → Transmits a false “ghost signal” that tricks missiles into chasing the decoy instead of the aircraft.

Deployment

  • Method → Dispensed from standard chaff/flare launchers.
  • Integration → Requires minimal aircraft modification.
  • Explanation → Easy to use because it works with existing countermeasure systems.

Key Advantages

  • Off-board jamming → Operates outside the aircraft, drawing threats away.
  • High effectiveness → Creates large miss distances against radar-guided missiles.
  • Safety → Avoids the “home-on-jam” risk that can occur with onboard jammers.
  • Cost-effective → Provides advanced protection at relatively low cost, suitable for both fighter jets and transport aircraft.