LUU-2 illuminating flare

Also known as

LUU-2/B
LUU-2A/B
LUU-2B/B
LUU-2C/B

Magellan Aerospace's LUU-2 illuminating flare is a U.S.-origin, air-launched parachute flare now manufactured in Winnipeg for Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue use. Published docs describe the LUU-2/B family as a 36-inch flare producing about 1.8 million candlepower for roughly five minutes, and Textron Aviation Defense lists it among the AT-6 Wolverine's supported loads.

LUU-2 illuminating flare, air-launched illumination flare, Munitions

Image source: LUU-2 Flare - Dumb Bombs - GlobalSecurity.org

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: United States
Built by: Magellan Aerospace
Built in: Canada
Type: air-launched illumination flare
Service note: Late 1960s-present
Unit cost: $1,472
Produced: Late 1960s-present

air-delivered illumination munitions

Specifications

Length: 36 in (914 mm)
Diameter: 4.875 in (123.8 mm)
Weight: Approximately 30 lb (13.6 kg)
Illumination: About 2 million candlepower
Burn time: Approximately 300 seconds (5 minutes)
Deployment: Air-launched parachute flare

Carrier Aircraft

Textron Aviation Defense lists the LUU-2 illumination flare among the AT-6 Wolverine's supported loads.

Carrier

Carrier type

Carriage evidence

AT-6 Wolverine, Light attack and armed reconnaissance turboprop aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs

Light attack aircraft

Textron Aviation Defense lists the LUU-2 illumination flare among the AT-6 Wolverine's supported loads.

Sources: AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation Defense

Timeline

LUU-2 illuminating flare Key Events

Feb 1, 1997
Air Force procurement line lists unit cost
The FY 1998/1999 Air Force procurement program lists the LUU-2 B/B parachute flare at a unit cost of $1,472.
Sources: Procurement Programs (P-1)
Mar 15, 2019
Magellan announces RCAF contracts
Magellan announced contracts to manufacture and deliver LUU-2 illumination flares for the Royal Canadian Air Force from Winnipeg.
Sources: Magellan Aerospace Announces Contracts to Produce Aircraft Illumination Flares
Dec 19, 2023
Magellan signs a new Canadian contract
Magellan announced a four-year Canadian-government contract beginning in 2024 for LUU-2 illumination flares for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Sources: LUU-2 Flares for CAF - Magellan Aerospace

Service And Conflict Use

Service History

In service: Air-deployed illumination for nighttime search and rescue, area marking, target marking, and rescue-aircraft hovering.
Used by: Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Department of Defense

Related Weapon Systems

12 Gauge Bean Bag Round, Less-lethal drag-stabilized 12-gauge bean-bag impact munition, Munitions

Munitions12 Gauge Bean Bag RoundLess-lethal drag-stabilized 12-gauge bean-bag impact munitionThe 12 Gauge Bean Bag Round is Defense Technology's drag-stabilized less-lethal 12-gauge impact munition, model 3027. The round uses a translucent shell with a 40-gram tear-shaped bag, four stabilizing tails, and a 270 fps muzzle velocity, while Napa Police Department reports place it at $7.00 each and document SWAT and patrol use in non-lethal responses.

12 Gauge Breaching Round, Frangible breaching cartridge for 12-gauge shotguns, Munitions

Munitions12 Gauge Breaching RoundFrangible breaching cartridge for 12-gauge shotgunsThe 12 Gauge Breaching Round is a 12-gauge frangible breaching cartridge used to defeat locks, hinges, deadbolts, and similar door hardware from standard military shotguns. Army ammunition records identify the M1030 breaching cartridge as a low-hazard, non-shrapnel-producing load with a 617-grain projectile, while Defense Technology describes the TKO round as a compressed-zinc shell that disintegrates on impact.

12 Gauge Buckshot, 12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pellets, Munitions

Munitions12 Gauge Buckshot12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pellets12 Gauge Buckshot is a 12-gauge shotshell family loaded with larger pellets for close-range patterning from shotguns. Current Federal and Remington pages list 00, 000, 1, and 4 buck loads in 2 3/4- and 3-inch shells, while Winchester still markets buckshot shotshells and Army and Marine Corps guidance explicitly treats buckshot as 12-gauge shotgun ammunition.

12-gauge slug, Single-projectile 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, Munitions

Munitions12-gauge slugSingle-projectile 12-gauge shotgun cartridgeThe 12-gauge slug is a shotgun cartridge that fires a single large projectile instead of a shot charge. Remington and Federal both market 12-gauge slug loads for big-game or duty use, while Army range-safety guidance and an OSHA accident report document slug ammunition being fired from shotguns.

120 mm illumination ammunition, 120 mm illuminating ammunition, Munitions

Munitions120 mm illumination ammunition120 mm illuminating ammunition120 mm illumination ammunition is a class of illuminating mortar projectile used to light target areas for night observation and fire adjustment. Forecast International identifies illumination as one of the ammunition types fired by the 2A60 Nona rifled ordnance on the 2S23 Nona-SVK, and Nammo publishes a representative 120 mm illuminating round with time-fuze and parachute-retarded light deployment.

122 mm 9M42 Grad rocket, Illumination rocket, Munitions

Munitions122 mm 9M42 Grad rocketIllumination rocketThe 122 mm 9M42 is a Soviet illumination rocket developed by NPO Splav and related enterprises for the 9K510 portable illumination system. It is a base-ejecting, parachute-suspended Grad round with a 1,000-5,000 m range and a 90-second illuminating burn.

Sources

Magellan Aerospace Announces Contracts to Produce Aircraft Illumination FlaresPublisher: Magellan Aerospace | Note: Supports the 2019 licensed-manufacture contract, Royal Canadian Air Force use, Winnipeg production, and the LUU-2 flare's 1.8 million candlepower output for five minutes. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 LUU-2 Flares for CAF - Magellan AerospacePublisher: Magellan Aerospace | Note: Supports the 2023 Canadian-government contract, Royal Canadian Air Force use, Winnipeg manufacture, and the LUU-2 flare's 1.8 million candlepower output for five minutes. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 History of LUU Flares - Regulations.govPublisher: Regulations.gov | Note: Supports the LUU-2/B flare's late-1960s U.S. DoD certification, Vietnam-era use, and ATK Launch Systems Inc. prime-contractor background. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 AFMAN 11-2MC-130Jv3Publisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports the LUU-2/B and LUU-2A/B description as an air-launched parachute flare, including its dimensions, candlepower, burn time, and documented illumination uses. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Procurement Programs (P-1)Publisher: U.S. Department of Defense | Note: Supports the FY 1998 unit cost line for the LUU-2 B/B parachute flare in the Air Force procurement program. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 LUU-2 Flare - Dumb Bombs - GlobalSecurity.orgPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Image provenance for the LUU-2/B flare cutaway image. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 Canada to obtain 10,000 units of the illumination flares for search and rescue - VanguardPublisher: Vanguard | Note: Supports Royal Canadian Air Force search-and-rescue context for LUU-2 illumination flares. | Accessed: 2026-06-27 AT-6 Wolverine and Beechcraft T-6 Texan II | Textron Aviation DefensePublisher: Textron Aviation Defense | Note: Supports the AT-6 Wolverine supported-load list that includes the LUU-2 illumination flare. | Accessed: 2026-06-27