OVERVIEW: The ship-launched RF Decoy Round is an expendable electronic countermeasure designed to protect naval vessels by simulating radar signatures and electronic emissions, thereby deceiving incoming radar-guided missiles and targeting systems.

DETAILS: Fired from naval decoy launchers, this round deploys active radio frequency emitters that mimic the ship’s radar cross-section and movement patterns to create false targets on enemy radar screens. The decoy confuses missile seekers and fire control radars, increasing the survivability of the host ship during missile attacks. Its rapid deployment and autonomous operation allow effective multi-target engagement in complex naval combat environments, complementing other shipborne defense systems.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Category: Naval Electronic Countermeasure Munition
Primary Use: Radar deception to counter radar-guided missile threats
Function: Generation of false RF signals simulating ship signatures
Strong Against: Radar-guided anti-ship missiles, naval radar tracking systems
Weak Against: Infrared-guided missiles, visual targeting, advanced multi-sensor seekers
Platform: Surface combatants equipped with decoy launching systems
Integration: Works with shipborne electronic warfare and defense suites

SOURCE:
Janes Naval Electronic Warfare Systems
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decoy_(military)