Destroyer HMS York has successfully demonstrated a new defensive decoy system to the Fleet.

In a trial which involved an aircraft fitted with electronic equipment to simulate an incoming missile, York detected the threat and launched an ADR – Active Decoy Round – which is designed to protect warships and auxiliaries from missile attack.

The test represented a significant milestone, as it was the first time the various systems on board a ship had been required to work together to deliver the decoy round against a simulated threat.

The 3ft long decoy is the most advanced electronic defence round in service with any of the world’s navies, and is now being fitted to RN vessels. It protects against anti-ship missiles by luring them away from their intended target towards the decoy round itself.

York was picked as the first warship to test the system, which adapts the existing Seagnat decoy and countermeasure equipment.

“This was the best thing I’ve done as an electronic warfare director – it’s why I selected to become one. None of my counterparts in the warfare branch ever get such responsibility at such an early stage of my career,” said LOM(EW) Pasquale, of HMS York, who pressed the trigger to launch ADR during trials in the Portsmouth exercise area.

“Electronic warfare in the Royal Navy is way ahead of the rest of the world.”

Experts at BAE Systems spent eight years designing the decoy, which they have named Siren after the mythological creatures which lured seafarers to destruction by their enchanted singing.

In the case of the ADR Siren, the enchanted singing is a radio frequency jamming signal, and it can be deployed anywhere up to 500 metres from the ship depending on operational circumstances.

The ADR has three major elements; a rocket motor to fling the round away from the ship, a two-stage parachute system and a programmable electronic payload to detect and counter the incoming missile.

The ship’s sensors work out where the best place to deploy the decoy round would be, and the round is then fired. The rocket motor falls away when its job is done, leaving the decoy to drift down to a specific location by parachute.

When it reaches that point, it deploys a parawing and spirals slowly down to the sea, transmitting a powerful electronic signal which dupes the incoming missile.

ADR will be fitted to all warships frigate-sized and above and corresponding vessels in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, with the first systems becoming operational next year.