Ukraine is using inflatable tanks and HIMARS against Russia

About 2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu said all warfare is based on deception. If the Chinese philosopher and military general were alive today, he’d most likely be a customer of Inflatech, a company in the Czech Republic that makes inflatable decoys that look like military vehicles.

The inflatable armaments are designed to look like many of the weapons systems seen on the Ukrainian battlefields. Inflatech said it has more than 30 different types of decoys. The models range from tanks to armored vehicles, aircraft, and howitzers. The company even makes a model that looks like the U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems.

Using decoys to throw off the enemy isn’t a new battlefield tactic, but these decoys do offer new benefits. They use lightweight materials like artificial silk to keep the weight down. A fake tank from Inflatech tips the scales at about 220 pounds. The decoys take around 15 mins to set up, they appear on enemy radar, and they are designed to mimic the heat signatures of the weapons they imitate.

Unlike the Russian-looking robot tanks Germany makes for training troops, these inflatable decoys are designed for one thing: wasting Russian munitions. Inflatech’s Chief Executive Vojtech Fresser said Russian rockets and artillery cost far more than the price of a decoy.

Czech TV @ReporteriCT: Czech 🇨🇿 production of inflatable decoys HIMARS, which are delivered to Ukraine 🇺🇦
(English subtitles added) pic.twitter.com/wiyKTjCRSK

— Tarmo 🇨🇿 🇺🇦 🇫🇮 🇪🇺 NAFO (@TarmoFella) February 22, 2023

“If I force the enemy to destroy a thing of mine by using something which is four times, but in reality, it could be 20 times more expensive, then I’m the winner economically,” Fresser said.

Fresser won’t reveal just how many decoys are in use in Ukraine, but he did tell a Czech TV station between 30-40% of the HIMARS Russia recently claimed it destroyed were actually just giant synthetic-silk sacks filled with air.

The inflatable decoy business is going well for Inflatech. The company posted a 30% increase in sales in 2022, with another high-volume year expected for 2023. Fresser said he’d prefer to make toys for kids, “but first, we have to secure a safe world for them. Then, we’ll hopefully return to civilian projects.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.