What does the CMWS utilize to automatically counter missile threats?

The correct response highlights the role of flare decoys in countering missile threats. Flare decoys are specifically designed to mislead heat-seeking missiles by emitting intense heat signatures that are more attractive to the missile's seeker than the actual aircraft or vehicle. This technology involves deploying these flares to create a false thermal target, leading missiles away from the intended target and enhancing the overall survival of the platform under threat.

The utilization of flare decoys represents a proactive defensive measure, leveraging principles of thermodynamics and tracking technology to maintain operational safety. The specificity of flare decoys in responding to infrared-guided threats is what distinguishes them as a particularly effective countermeasure in missile defense systems. Additionally, flare decoys often work in conjunction with other countermeasures, but their primary function is to combat the specific tracking capabilities of heat-seeking missiles.

The other options, while related to counter-missile strategies, do not capture the specific effectiveness and targeted response characteristic of flare decoys in the context of missile threats.