NATO launches RFI on airborne decoys

To inform potential future acquisitions, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has launched a request for information (RFI) on the status of air-launched decoy development. 

Published on 17 March, the agency is seeking to identify solutions that can reproduce or mimic the electromagnetic signatures of other airborne platforms to “deceive or saturate adversary air defence systems”.  

They must be available off-the-shelf or be nearing operational readiness.  

While the NSPA notes that the RFI is not a request for proposal, nor a commitment to award an eventual contract, NATO is seeking to understand the scope of technology available to defend against complex threats.  

This comes amid a complex air picture in Ukraine, where advanced air-defence systems have prevented either side from achieving air superiority – particularly for crewed aircraft. 

Decoy capabilities  

The RFI says that submitted decoys must be deployable from operational NATO transport platforms or fighter aircraft.  

Particularly of interest is the capacity for systems integration, with open architectures noted as a specific requirement of the decoys to help build out a wider defence ecosystem.  

An optional functionality of the decoys is to integrate stand-in jammer capabilities.  

Organisations are invited to respond to the RFI questionnaire by describing their relevant capabilities. The deadline for responses is 30 April.