One of the most inventive defence technology products was recently unveiled by South Korea-based Seawolf Marine at the Washington Defence Expo – an inflatable decoy of a fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jet designed to mislead enemy air forces.

Seawolf Marine, a company specialising in the manufacture of life preservers, revealed for the first time the inflatable F-35s, which intended to deceive enemy forces and cause them to waste valuable ammunition and resources neutralising fake aircraft. 

According to the South Korean company, the inflatable can be deployed by just two people within ten minutes.

However, it is not only their almost flawless resemblance to the real F-35s that impresses, but also the fact that they emit electromagnetic waves and heat to “trap” radar systems and infrared sensors, deceiving them and drawing the attention of enemy forces.

The inflatable F-35s can also be remotely controlled, while being extremely light and compact – features that allow them to be  transported and deployed quickly, flexibly and easily in the field of operations or at air bases.

The war in Ukraine has shown that inflatable decoys are a highly cost-effective means of protecting real military assets of high and strategic value from drones, which are comparatively much cheaper.

Over the past two years, this tactic has been widely employed in Ukraine, resulting in artillery units, drones and even fighter jets striking air or ground targets that ultimately proved to be fake.

Today, the global inflatable decoy market is valued at approximately $1.1 billion, with projections suggesting it will reach $1.9 billion within the next decade.

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