The Indian Air Force (IAF) has moved to acquire 400 inflatable decoys that mimic the visual, radar, and thermal signatures of fighter aircraft and advanced air defence systems, including the S-400 Triumf batteries.

The procurement represents a deliberate expansion of India’s camouflage, concealment, and deception (CCD) doctrine, aiming to complicate adversary targeting cycles and dilute strike effectiveness against high-value assets.

These decoys, produced from specialised materials, are designed to withstand varied climatic conditions and be rapidly deployable in operational theaters. Once inflated, they convincingly replicate the radar cross-section (RCS) and infrared (IR) heat signature of real platforms, ensuring that hostile reconnaissance and strike aircraft cannot easily differentiate between genuine targets and decoys.

For fighter aircraft decoys, the IAF intends to simulate popular frontline jets such as the Su-30MKI, Rafale, and Tejas, placing them on dispersal airstrips or airbases to confuse hostile intelligence. For air defence decoys, replicas will mimic the layout and emitter signatures of complex systems like the S-400 Triumf, potentially forcing adversaries to waste precision-guided munitions or conduct additional reconnaissance passes.

Operationally, these decoys strengthen survivability by spreading an enemy’s firepower thinner across false targets. During high-intensity conflict, adversaries may be compelled to expand sorties and missile expenditure to neutralize assets that, in reality, do not exist. This directly contributes to preserving genuine combat capability while exhausting the opponent’s stockpile of high-value munitions.

The use of inflatable decoys also dovetails with India’s broader emphasis on electronic warfare, passive deception, and hardened shelters. By integrating decoys with electromagnetic emitters and heat sources, the IAF can create a fully convincing “electronic and visual battlefield picture,” a tactic increasingly seen in hybrid conflicts worldwide.

Globally, such systems gained attention after their widespread use in recent conflicts, including Ukraine, where inflatable decoy S-300 and HIMARS units successfully drew adversary fire. The IAF appears to be drawing lessons from these experiences, adapting them into indigenous planning for both peacetime deterrence and wartime attrition management.

Strategically, the procurement enhances India’s deterrence posture. By inflating the perceived number of operational airbases and missile systems, the IAF forces any potential adversary to consider a far higher baseline of targets to neutralize, complicating campaign planning. This psychological and operational uncertainty could delay or dissuade strike missions altogether.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)