Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Advanced Chaff Technology to safeguard fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force against hostile radar guided missiles, according to information provided by the Defence Ministry on Thursday.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has started the process of induction of this technology after completion of successful user trials, the Defence Ministry said. 

Chaff is a critical defence technology used to protect fighter aircraft from hostile radar threats. The importance of this technology lies in the fact that very little chaff material deployed in the air acts as a decoy to deflect enemy’s missiles for ensuring safety of the fighter aircraft. This chaff material appears as separate targets to the missile's radar and confuse the missile, enabling the aircraft to escape.

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The technology has been given to industry for production in large quantities to meet the annual rolling requirement of the Indian Air Force, the official statement said.

In today’s electronic warfare, survivability of fighter aircraft is of prime concern because of advancement in modern radar threats. To ensure survivability of aircraft, Counter Measure Dispensing System is used which provides passive jamming against Infra-Red and radar threats.

Defence Laboratory Jodhpur, a DRDO laboratory developed the advanced chaff material and chaff cartridge-118/I in collaboration with High Energy Materials Research Laboratory a Pune based laboratory of DRDO, to meeting the requirements of the IAF.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has lauded DRDO, IAF and the industry for indigenous development of this critical technology, terming it as one more step by DRDO towards ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in strategic defence technologies.