OVERVIEW: The SAGAIE LEM (Leurre ÉlectroMagnétique / Electromagnetic Decoy) and LIR (Leurre InfraRouge / Infrared Decoy) is a 62 mm decoy rocket used in French naval decoy launcher systems (Sagaie family). It produces a discrete radar-reflective cloud for shipboard defense against radar-guided threats.

DETAILS: Developed by French firms Lacroix and Sagem/Safran in the 1990s, the SAGAIE series includes LEM (chaff) and LIR (flare) 62 mm rockets launched from medium- and long-range trainable arms such as Sagaie and NGDS units. Designed for centroid seduction, the LEM chaff round disperses dozens of submunitions at set distances to replicate and enhance the ship’s radar signature. The system has seen broad export to 25 navies and remains in service on major platforms including French Horizon and FREMM frigates, as well as on Singapore’s Formidable-class vessels.

FONCTION:
Fired from trainable Sagaie/NGDS launchers on radar threat detection.
Releases multiple chaff/Flare submunitions at a programmed distance.
Forms a synthetic radar cloud or heat signatures to seduce and mislead incoming radar-guided missiles.

SOURCE:
Mer et Marine – “Lacroix: dans le monde confidentiel des leurres” ; Free Library – “Naval Soft‑Kill Technologies” PDF