ISLAMABAD: The Indian military planners have begun acquiring decoy models that replicate high-value combat aircraft and air-defence systems, in what defence analysts describe as an attempt to mask recent battlefield losses and complicate potential Pakistani targeting, according to defence sources and regional analysts.
The move follows claims made in Pakistani military and political circles that advanced Indian platforms such as Rafale combat jets and long-range S-400 air-defence batteries suffered damage during recent confrontations.
In this sense, these inflatable decoys are lightweight, low-cost replicas designed to resemble real aircraft or missile systems from a distance and on radar.
When deployed, they can create the impression that critical assets remain intact even if the genuine equipment has been damaged or removed.
In this regard. analysts argue the trend reflects wider anxieties within New Delhi about the vulnerability of concentrated, high-value assets in an era of increasingly accurate reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
Furthermore, critics, including some Pakistani commentators, portrayed the acquisition as an admission of weakness.
They contend that investing in simulated hardware signals a lack of confidence in the ability to protect real systems and may be aimed more at shaping public perception than enhancing operational resilience.
Moreover, defence scholars caution that the use of decoys carries risks of escalation if misinterpreted by an adversary, and may complicate crisis management by muddying the factual record after an incident.
Also Read: PAF warns India of stronger response on Defence Day anniversary
So far, there was no immediate official response from Indian defence authorities when enquiries were sent.
