Decoys used in electronic warfare typically consist of which form?

• A. Both inflatable balloons with reflector tape and reflectors suspended from kites or parachutes
• B. Inflatable balloons with reflector tape
• C. Reflectors suspended from kites or parachutes
• D. Flares

Answer: (A)

In electronic warfare, decoys are used to create believable false targets by presenting strong radar reflections, drawing the defender’s sensors away from real aircraft or assets. The typical forms are passive reflectors that can be quickly deployed and drift with the environment. Inflatable balloons wrapped with reflector tape provide a sizable, stable radar cross-section and can be released to rise and stay aloft, producing multiple echoes over a broad area. Reflectors suspended from kites or parachutes offer elevated, maneuverable targets that can be positioned to mimic the appear­ance and spacing of real targets, helping to saturate or mislead radar or surveillance systems. These approaches are favored because they are simple, lightweight, and require no power; they generate useful radar signatures without complex equipment. Flares, by contrast, are primarily infrared decoys designed to mislead heat-seeking missiles, not radar sensors, so they aren’t the typical EW decoy form described here.