Now official: Bundeswehr has 470,000 decoy targets

One needs goals in life, even the Bundeswehr. And what does RHEINMETALL do? They deliver decoy targets worth around 50 million euros for Bundeswehr aircraft. Typical times...

Rheinmetall has received a significant contract from the Bundeswehr for the protection of aircraft. This allows the German armed forces to procure a total of over 470,000 decoy targets from Rheinmetall's proven Birdie product range. The corresponding contract covers the period from December 2023 to December 2029 and has a contract value of almost 50 million euros.

Birdie stands for Bispectral Infrared Decoy Improved Efficiency and is distributed by Rheinmetall Waffe & Munition GmbH Fronau/Bayern. These are infrared decoy targets or flares. They are fired by helicopters, transport planes, and jets to distract incoming infrared-guided missiles. The flares simulate or mask the hot engine exhaust gases emitted by the aircraft with their infrared radiation.

The contract now closed provides for the delivery of two Birdie products: IR-Birdie 118 BS and IR-Birdie 218. Both are used by the Bundeswehr as "decoy target aircraft, DM189A1, PT" and "decoy target aircraft, DM169A1, PT."

The self-protection of aircraft has once again come into focus due to the current security situation. Decoy targets are a proven means for this. These include pyrotechnic flares such as products that distract ground-to-air (Surface-to-Air Missile, SAM) or air-to-air (Air-to-Air Missile, AAM) missiles with infrared seeker heads. Other forms include "chaffs," which deceive enemy radars, or fog munitions such as the Rapid Obscuration System ROSY.

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