Chaff technology is used to confuse missiles with their targets. Thus, this technology protects naval ships from enemy radars and radio frequency based missile detectors. D.R.D.O. has developed modern chaff technology to protect against missile attacks.
Chaff is an electronic technology used for self-defense. Chaff rockets are virtually inert and can be destroyed easily. The chaff is made of many small aluminum or zinc coated fibers. On the apprehension of threat from a missile, the chaff is injected from the planes into the air to confuse the missile.
The Defense Laboratory unit of DRDO at Jodhpur has developed three types of chaff technology. These are- Long-Range Chaff Rocket (LRCR), Medium-Range Chaff Rocket (MRCR) and Short-Range Chaff Rocket (SRCR). The Indian Navy has successfully conducted test of all three types of rockets in the Arabian Sea.
This indigenously developed technology is important because it requires a small amount of chaff rockets to be injected into the air as a bait to distract radar-guided missiles from their targets and routes.
It is known that flares are also used in aircraft to confuse missiles, which is suitable for diverting missiles by using heat and energy. For combustion, magnesium pellets are mostly released by an aircraft. These flares emit excessive amounts of infrared light when ignited.