Corvus Countermeasure System 

The model on display was fitted on many NATO vessels, and similar devices are still in use on modern ships. This 3” rocket launcher is designed for self defence of surface vessels against other surface enemies or missiles from the air. Chaff dispensing rockets are fired to form a radar screen around the vessel. Chaff is made of metal or of non-conducting fibres coated with a conducting material. Aluminum foil use is quite common, as are glass and nylon fibres coated with aluminum or zinc. This confused the enemy’s rocket guidance radar and diverts the missiles from its intended target. Corvus is a lightweight, quick reaction system for the self-defence of surface vessels against surface-to-surface and air-to-surface attacks.

This Corvus system features a cylindrical rotating structure that carries eight launching tubes mounted in two sets of three (one above the other) and crossed at 90 degrees. Two additional tubes are set above this arrangement and are aligned midway between the other tubes, all at a fixed elevation of 30 degrees. This is then deck mounted as its pedestal supports the rotating structure and houses a self-contained electrical power converter unit for the controlling the circuits and associated electrical equipment.

The mounting can rotate an arc of 150 degrees in 15-degree increments to allow the fixed 30-degree tubes better range. The rockets are fired on a timed mechanical fuse (not as a part of a computerized system) and can be fired singly or in multiples.

Reference Links:
Youtube - Chaff (countermeasure)