Inflatable fighter - Russia's secret camouflage weapon

Russian inflatable rubber planes and tanks can confuse the enemy, making it difficult to grasp the real strength and intentions of the country's army.

A Russian inflatable fighter used for camouflage. Photo: NYTimes

A large Mig-31 fighter jet with a red star on its wing appeared in a field in rural Russia one summer day. A few seconds later, a missile launcher appeared next to it. A short time later, the weapons disappeared as quickly as they appeared.

What is special is that these fighters and missile systems are all made of rubber and can be inflated to the exact size of the prototype. This is a new secret weapon that the Russian military is applying to show off its power, according to the New York Times.

These fighter jets, tanks and surface-to-air missile batteries were made by Rusbal, a Russian toy company, to serve the Russian military's diversionary warfare tactic called Maskirovka.

According to commentator Andrew E. Kramer, the idea behind this tactic is to always keep the opponent guessing, never grasping one's true intentions, maintaining the element of surprise for the soldiers.

Maskirovka tactics went beyond simple camouflage, and were a mix of tactical and strategic deception that could be used in both war and peace. For example, Soviet maps were often inaccurate, which made drivers angry, but they served national security. If a spy had obtained one, it could make an invader think they were on the right path, but it actually led to the swamps.

Russia's Rusbal company has a whole production line of inflatable replicas of important Russian military hardware such as Mig-31 and Su-27 fighters, T-72 and T-80 main battle tanks, S-300 surface-to-air missiles, radar stations and even Tochka short-range tactical ballistic missiles.

A $16,000 T-80 tank replica is packed in two duffel bags and inflated in about five minutes. That means an entire battalion of 31 of these fake tanks cost just $496,000 and took just two and a half hours to assemble. Even more impressive, the company also sells equipment to create fake tank tracks on the ground.

Fighter jets and inflatable S-300 missile systems deployed in a field. Photo: NYTimes

According to DefenseOne technology expert Patrick Tucker, these inflatable aircraft and armored vehicle models, although very elaborately made, are unlikely to fool the US WorldView 3 hyperspectral imaging satellites. This hyperspectral imaging technology can capture light at hundreds of visible and invisible wavelengths to analyze the material composition of objects, including plastic materials, from space.

"The camouflage is mostly made of plastic, so we can detect it easily. Modern camouflage equipment is developed to bypass multi-spectral systems but cannot fool the WorldView 3 satellite," said an industrial intelligence analyst.

According to VnExpress