On July 18, the Minister of Defense of Russia, Sergei Shoigu, ordered his troops to prioritize the destruction of Ukrainian artillery and long-range missiles. Among them, HIMARS stands out, a high-precision ballistic system mounted on the back of a truck and supplied by. United States of America According to experts, it helped Kiev take control of the invasion initiated by Russia. At the beginning of the year, the ministry claimed to have dropped as many as 35 of those feared. missile launcher. The only problem with this statement is that the Ukrainians received only 20 units at that time. How is it understood?
The answer may be in the Czech Republic. The company Inflatech announced to a local media outlet a few days ago that no more than a third of the destroyed HIMARS will be destroyed. missiles real but replica swelling what they do Yes, like bouncy castles used at kids’ parties. The Czech company developed not only missile systems such as HIMARS, but also tanks, armored vehicles and even warplanes Made of synthetic silk.
Inflatech has not confirmed that it sells its products to Ukraine, although it has admitted to supplying its products to “many governments around the world”. since the beginning warThe company started making more than 30 different inflatable models and its production increased by more than 100%.
confuse the enemy
This tactic has a main task confuse the enemy and shooting these inflatable boats will waste your time, ammo and money. And the cost ranges from 10,000 to 100,000 dollars, which is much less than the missiles used to destroy them. “Without binoculars and looking at it from a distance of 150-200 meters, I won’t be able to tell whether this is a real weapon or bait,” the company’s CEO, Vojtech Fresser, told AFP reporters.
In addition, it is a relatively easy resource to deploy in the field. war. The weight of these objects is between 25 and 90 kilograms. Therefore, they need two or four soldiers who can transport them to the desired spot and then inflate them with an electric or gasoline blower in just 10 minutes. This engine is also a heat this can fool the enemy’s thermal and infrared sensors.
Despite their almost comical appearance, these inflatables military equipment. This means that permission from the authorities is required for its export, which can take about 60 days from the moment the order is placed. Since February 24, 2022, Kremlin The Czech Republic, which ordered the invasion of its neighboring country, provided approximately 500 million dollars of military aid to Ukraine.
Ukraine may also be using wooden replicas of HIMARS missile launchers, senior Ukrainian and US officials told the Washington Post last August.
tactics with history
Russia can use the same tactic. On January 26, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine posted photos on its Facebook account boasting of destroying inflatable boats deployed by Russian troops. In either case, the possible use of inflatables is difficult to verify, as neither side has disclosed the methods followed on the battlefield.
While there are now resources to make it more sophisticated, deception in wars is a common practice. Inside II. World WarFor example, the Allies used this trick to overthrow the Nazi Empire. Adolf Hitler. The US then deployed inflatable tanks and boarding ships near the French coastal city of Calais to convince German intelligence that the Allied offensive would begin there. This tactic managed to confuse the Nazis who left the area. Normandy less cover The rest is history.