Since World War II, militaries have used “dummy” tanks to trick the enemy in many ways, and the deceptive technology has only become more advanced.
The ongoing fighting in Ukraine has seen some of the most intense armored combat since the Second World War.
It is notable for involving some of the most excellent main battle tanks (MBTs) in service today, including Russia’s T-90M Proryv, Germany’s Leopard 2, the UK’s Challenger 2, and notably the U.S.-made M1 Abrams.
The conflict has also turned the frontlines into a graveyard of tanks, thousands having been destroyed in the carnage.
Even as tank technology has dramatically improved, so have the weapons and methods to counter the armored behemoths. Anti-tank rocket launchers, including the AT4, MLAW, and FGM-148 Javelin, were credited with destroying hundreds of Russian tanks in the opening months of the fighting.
In contrast, both Ukrainian and Russian forces have employed unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions or Kamikaze drones against the other side’s MBTs.
That has resulted in efforts to provide better protection, including adding explosive reactive armor (ERA), radio jammers, and even ad hoc solutions like cope cages and nets. However, both sides have also taken a page from an old playbook, which shows the greater use of deception.
Enter the Dummy Tank
Forbes contributor Vikram Mittal reported that Moscow and Kyiv have been “deploying increasing advanced decoy tanks.”
This isn’t the first time that decoys have been employed in a warzone, as Ukraine was supplied with “inflatable fake armaments” from Czech-based company Inflatech more than two years ago. The company produced a decoy version of the T-72 MBT and even one of the U.S.-made M148 HIMARS, a weapon platform considered a “high-value target.”
The inflatable vehicles were developed for training, not deception, but quickly proved effective in tricking the enemy. During the Second World War, the Allied and Axis Powers used this tactic to confuse the enemy into thinking their forces were larger or troops were being massed in another location.
The British Army’s Operation Bertram, which began in advance of the Second Battle of El Alamein in North Africa, used dummy vehicles to deceive German General Erwin Rommel about the timing and location of the Allied attack.
Dummy vehicles were also used in the recreation of the fictional First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), the “Ghost Army” that was part of Fortitude South, the deception campaign that fooled Nazi Germany into believing the D-Day landings would occur near Calais rather than Normandy.
Similar decoy tanks are used today, but there are limitations.
“While these improvised decoys would not withstand scrutiny, they can still deceive reconnaissance drones or distant observers. However, with even modern imaging technology, these rudimentary decoys are easily detected as fakes and hence less useful,” wrote Mittal.
As a result, efforts have been made to increase the sophistication of the decoys, and Mittal cited social media posts that showed convincingly looking decoys of the German-made Leopard 2A6. According to online reports, “the Russians spent 1-3 kamikaze UAVs of the Zala Lancet type” to destroy the faux MBT.
Autonomous Dummy Tanks Inbound
There are now efforts underway to create even more convincing decoys.
Mittal cited the efforts of American-based I2K Defense in developing a higher caliber of advanced decoys. In addition to employing fabrics that look more realistic even at closer distances, the systems could, “be deployed autonomously, allowing for a faster and safer setup without the need for human involvement.”
Likewise, Kyiv’s TEMBERLAND Military Solutions is also working on active dummies that are decoys mounted on trucks, which can also be “remotely controlled.” This could allow the decoys “to be repositioned like real armored units, improving their ability to deceive enemy forces.”
The goal of using these decoys is little changed from the Second World War, with the primary purpose being to fool the enemy. Yet in this case, it also makes the adversary expand its expensive drones and other ordnance.
Although the faux tanks may not be cheap, they cost less than the weapons used to destroy them. This also means that one fewer drone or rocket can target a real tank and its human crew.
About The Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He hascontributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites, with over 3,200 published pieces and over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock/Martin Hibberd.