Inflatable Weapons, Blowing Up “Combat Power”

On the outskirts of Moscow, several workers are “creating” a weapon with a green fabric and an air compressor.

In a short while, a streamlined, grayish Mig-31 fighter jet appears: a full-bodied fuselage, powerful wings spread out,

and the unique red star mark of the Russian Air Force on the body. This is an inflatable fake aircraft, but from 300 meters away, it looks very realistic.

In Russian military terminology, there is a “Maskirovka” regulation, which relies on concealment, deception,

and the spread of false intelligence and other strategic deception methods to hinder enemy decision-making,

allowing one’s own soldiers to maintain the advantage of surprise.

This is also a tactical requirement that the Russian army has always adhered to, and inflatable weapons are in line with this tactical principle.

The military engineer responsible for developing inflatable weapons said: “In fact, as long as you have some understanding of the history of war,

it is not difficult to see that deceptive methods can always win wars, but no one has ever won by legitimate means.” Historically,

Russians have achieved unprecedented success with camouflage techniques. During World War II,

the United States and its allies “created” a complete fake army including inflatable weapons before the landing in Normandy,

implementing strategic deception, which made the Germans believe that the Allies would land in Calais until the day of landing.

It is reported that the largest inflatable weapon company in Russia is a toy company called “Rusbal”.

The company initially made hot air balloons, inflatable children’s game sets, and inflatable clothing,

and later gradually switched to manufacturing inflatable models of various weapon systems.