Fake wooden Himars draw Russian fire
UKRAINE has deployed a fleet of dummy wooden Himars across the battlefield to trick Russian forces into wasting expensive long-range weapons on pointless targets.
The decoy versions of the Us-provided rocket launcher systems have been targeted by at least 10 Kalibr cruise missiles fired by Moscow’s naval fleet in the Black Sea.
Russian drones were said to be unable to distinguish between the wooden dummy targets and the real deal when scouting the battlefield.
“When the UAVS see the battery, it’s like a VIP target,” a senior Ukrainian official told The Washington Post.
The initial success of the decoy replicas led Ukraine to expand production and add further wooden Himars to its fleet of dummy targets in a bid to neutralise Russia’s artillery advantage.
Us-produced weapons system, which has a range of around 50 miles, has been credited with Ukraine’s recent fightback in the south of the country and the destruction of Russian ammunition dumps and logistical hubs.
Washington has shipped 16 Himars to Ukraine, while other Western allies, including Britain, have sent M270 rocket systems that have similar capabilities.
The destruction of Ukraine’s fleet of fake Himars might explain Russia’s claim to have taken out a large number of the systems, according to US sources.
One diplomat said: “They’ve claimed to have hit more Himars than we have even sent.
“If the Russians think they hit a Himars, they will claim they hit a Himars,” said George Barros, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of War, a Us-based think tank.
“Russian forces very well may be overstating their battle damage assessments after hitting Himars decoys.”
With Russia’s stockpile of precision, long-range weapons thought to be running low, every missile wasted on the fake Himars is a considerable win for Ukraine’s armed forces. “A Kalibr misthe sile launched at a fake Himars target in a field is a missile that can’t be used against a Ukrainian city,” said Rob Lee, a military analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
With Ukraine able to use its Himars to strike deep behind the front lines, another perceived advantage of the decoys is they could force Russia to relocate ammunition dumps and control centres out of range.
The use of decoys has been well documented since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24. “Scarecrow soldiers” dressed in helmets, army uniforms and body armour, fake NLAW anti-tank rockets and Stinger anti-aircraft missile launchers were spotted in the early days of the conflict. Cars have also been disguised as armoured vehicles by both sides in an attempt to deceive opposing forces.
The Russians have historically used deception against enemy units, including mock S-300 missile systems.