The U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) has rolled out a ‘fielding endorsement’ for Leonardo’s BriteCloud 218 expendable active decoy, which has been evaluated on US F-16 Fighting Falcon jets. This indicates that the service, having performed a comprehensive testing and live trial initiative with BriteCloud since 2019, firmly believes that the decoy meets and, in several cases, even surpasses operational standards, enhancing platform protection capabilities for 4th generation fighter aircraft like the F-16.
The U.S. Air Force has subsequently classified BriteCloud 218 as AN/ALQ-260(V)1, marking it as an aerial electronic warfare countermeasure. BriteCloud stands out in the combat air countermeasure sector, incorporating state-of-the-art DRFM jamming technology into a compact expendable unit, which can be launched from standard countermeasure dispensers. In contrast to conventional chaff and flares, BriteCloud utilizes a sophisticated onboard electronic warfare function aimed at counteracting radar-guided threats.
Engineered and produced by Leonardo in the UK, BriteCloud has already been deployed with the UK’s Royal Air Force. As a groundbreaking technology, BriteCloud is undergoing assessment for potential use by U.S. Armed Forces under the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) program. The endorsement from the ANG represents one of the concluding stages of the program and grants approval for BriteCloud 218 as demonstrably effective and suitable for operational deployment.
The BriteCloud 218 variant assessed under the FCT consists of standard-sized rectangular countermeasures measuring merely two by one by eight inches. This ensures compatibility with common dispensers, including the AN/ALE-47, and prepares it for integration with other 4th generation fighters such as the F-15, F/A-18, F-16, and A-10 jets. BriteCloud 218 also serves as an efficient protective measure for smaller unmanned platforms, with the German Armed Forces successfully testing the system with target drone aircraft last year.
Leonardo’s initial BriteCloud 55 decoy (a slightly larger variant, compatible with round 55mm flare dispensers such as those fitted on the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen C/D), is actively utilized by the UK’s Royal Air Force. BriteCloud’s distinctive mix of cutting-edge threat defense paired with remarkably low integration costs continues to attract substantial international interest, and Leonardo is currently in negotiations with several Air Forces regarding this valuable capability.
