Method for protecting an aircraft against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor

A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of

• providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, wherein a set of infrared-emitting properties of the infrared sources is selected responsive to a set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor;
• and
• dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, wherein the modulated pattern is determined responsive to at least one of
• the set of infrared detecting characteristics of the infrared sensor, and
• a geometric engagement scenario of the aircraft and the threat.

A method for protecting an aircraft having an aircraft motion against a threat that utilizes an infrared sensor, comprising the steps of

• providing a plurality of dispensable infrared sources transported in an infrared-source dispenser with the aircraft, and
• dispensing a modulated pattern of the infrared sources from the infrared-source dispenser, the step of dispensing a modulated pattern including the steps of
• dispensing a first initial-distraction subpattern, and thereafter
• dispensing a first attention-holding subpattern different from the first initial-distraction subpattern.