In this article, you will learn how they work and why their role is becoming more and more important.
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Ukraine continues to demonstrate an innovative approach to conducting modern combat operations. One of the key solutions has been the use of decoy drones, developed by the Ukrainian company Slobidka Aerocompany. These drones are designed to distract enemy air defense systems, creating conditions for combat drones to penetrate targets.
The idea of using decoy drones dates back to the 1980s, when armies in Western countries began experimenting with drones as tools for deploying anti-aircraft defense systems (DDS). One of the first serial applications of such technologies is the American ADM-160 MALD decoy missile, which was created to imitate aircraft on enemy radars. In Ukraine, decoy drones began to actively fight in 2022, in the face of Russia’s large-scale invasion, when there was a need to neutralize the numerical superiority of hostile software systems. The Ukrainian company Slobidka Aerocompany was the first to develop an accessible and effective version of the decoy drone, which suggests to modern minds the conduct of combat operations.
Decoy drones have achieved their effectiveness in the minds of combatants. The stench can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the anti-aircraft defense of the enemy. Instead of reducing combat aircraft or expensive strike drones, PPO systems are wasting missiles on cheaper and less valuable targets. For example:
One decoy drone can lure out a handful of missiles from a PPO battery, the range of which can outweigh the drone’s range a hundred times.
The stinks allow you to change the intensity of the anti-missile fire, thereby increasing the chances of breaking through attack drones or missiles to strategically important targets.
In certain situations, decoy drones create radar “noise” disturbances that deceive the guidance systems of the PPO operator.
Ukrainian decoy drones, built on the basis of simple plastic structures with radar knockers, are especially prominent in this regard. They are ten times cheaper than combat drones, but allow a similar effect to be achieved in the created “corridor” for shock attacks.
Ukraine received ADM-160B MALD (Miniature Air-Launched Decoy) decoy missiles from the United States, which were integrated into Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters. These decoys have a range of about 930 km and are capable of misleading even sophisticated air defense systems. However, their use is associated with certain limitations:
Air Launch: Requires aircraft, which increases the cost of operations.
Limited Supply: The number of MALDs available may be limited.
Limited Number of Launches: Aircraft can carry a limited number of decoys per flight.
To enhance the effectiveness of missile strikes such as Storm Shadow, additional solutions are needed. One such solution is the use of decoy drones that can distract enemy air defenses, increasing the chances of successfully hitting targets.
The decoy drone’s design is remarkable for its extreme simplicity. The fuselage is made in the form of a regular plastic tube, equipped with rough wings and rudimentary tail surfaces. The tail cone is probably identical to the nose. A small electric motor is located in the front part. There is no warhead (perhaps there is only a self-destruct charge), but a radar reflector is located in the rear part of the fuselage. The plastic tube is transparent to radar waves.
Russia attempted to attach radar reflectors to balloons in early 2023. This tactic was generally unsuccessful.
The main UAV, which Russia is likely using as a radar decoy, has distinctive features. In particular, its wings are covered with foil. The frame under the fuselage is designed to accommodate a plastic fuel bottle, not a radar reflector.
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