Swallow

Swallows leaving Raptors. (Battle of New Caprica)

A swallow is an decoy drone used to lure enemy guided missiles away from a Colonial vessel, typically it is launched by the ECO as part of a Raptor's ECM suite.

These devices were deployed from Raptor 478 to successfully lure away two missiles shot at it by a Cylon Raider during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies (Miniseries).

Enough swallows can mimic the electrical "footprint," or signatures of other spacecraft, even that of battlestars when programmed and grouped together (Exodus, Part II).

Notes

• Swallows seem to serve as a combination chaff, decoy, and electronic countermeasures suite.