Patent ID: 7373886

Claim:
A method for discharging countermeasures arranged in unit countermeasure packs arranged in a plurality of magazines arranged in a plurality of secondary carriers arranged on a carrier craft moving in a flying direction, the method comprising: mechanically spreading the unit countermeasure packs from the secondary carriers through discharging locations including laterally facing openings, thereby giving the unit countermeasure packs spreading directions transverse to the flying direction of the carrier craft, wherein the unit countermeasure packs are discharged from a plurality of the discharging locations by a single rotating spreader element that successively passes the plurality of discharging locations, and wherein the countermeasures leave the unit countermeasure packs after the unit countermeasure packs have been discharged from the secondary carriers and screen the carrier craft or form a decoy to deceive or confuse a threat aimed at the carrier craft.