What Is Chaff and Flare

Chaff and flare are countermeasures used by military planes and helicopters to help evade a missile attack by an enemy aircraft. For the non-stealthy fourth-generation assets that make up the bulk of the services’ inventory, these systems are pivotal to that aircraft’s defense.

Is chaff or flare better?

Chaff generally works better for ground targets, and against helicopters, but flares can work better against planes where ideally you won’t be letting them get more than a single missile off on you. That prevents the other pilot from having a chance to get a better run on you while you’re running evasive maneuvers.

Is chaff same as flares?

Flares are just what they sound like, fireworks that give off light and heat. They are ejected by fighter aircraft to decoy heat-seeking missiles away from them. Chaff is a collection of small metallic coated particles.