Watch: Czech inflatable decoys confusing the Russian attackers
PRAGUE, THE CZECH REPUBLIC — 365 days have passed since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today, you will most likely read many articles representing the past year. However, we decided to show you another type of weapon used by the Ukrainians.
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According to Russian statements, dozens of HIMARS were destroyed in one year. A bit of a confusing statement considering the actual quantity delivered. But these claims may turn out to be true. I.e. is there any possibility that the Russian and Ukrainian claims are true at the same time? Yes, there is such a possibility.
Rubber lures
The success of the Allies during World War II and the Normandy landings was due to two facts: the sacrifice and courage of the Allied soldiers, and the delusion of the Nazis. Historical facts show that the Nazis knew about the landing. But they did not know where it would be performed.
The Allies took advantage of this fact, and through a double spy, agents confused Hitler’s army. Kilometers from the location of the real redfish, the co-owners deploy rubber baits. Hundreds of military jeeps, armored vehicles, tanks, and aircraft are deployed. All of them – are inflatable decoys. The Nazis are “on the hook”.
Inflatable decoys for Ukraine are another type of weapon of essential importance. They enable real weapon systems to be hidden. We can say that they succeed. Because if Russia claims that 40 HIMARS were destroyed in this one year, and in reality, Ukraine received 20 units, if every single statement is true, then there are successful decoys.
The Czechs
The Czechs are very active in providing military aid to Ukraine. However, the Czechs also provide the “stun guns” that confuse the Russian attackers.
There is a factory for the production of inflatable lures in the city of Decin. A short television report by a local media reveals interesting details about the production and the war in Ukraine. The company in Decin produces HIMARS rubber decoys.
According to Mr. Vojtech Fresser, an interviewee, the company he works for can produce up to 35 inflatable HIMARS per month. He did not say how much of his production was sent to Ukraine. It’s a military secret.
“We can estimate this based on publicly available sources that recently claimed, for example, that Russians destroyed 140% more HIMARS than were delivered to Ukraine. So, it’s easy to imagine that the 40% will probably be some kind of decoys, and if the decoys were so successful, they were definitely from Decin. From us,” Mr. Fresser said.
The importance
Inflatable decoys are an “important weapon” and a countermeasure of the Ukrainians. They cannot cause destruction to Russian equipment or positions. But they can reduce the availability of Russian missiles. Also, it is cheaper to engage a Russian rocket with an inflatable decoy.
Mr. Fresser does not say how much a single HIMARS inflatable lure costs. But make another comparison. “A Javelin costs around $80,000 [the cheapest version]. That’s four times more expensive than our decoy,” says the Czech.
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