How effective is the "diversion"?

The Russian military's unconventional tactic of protecting bombers and other aircraft with rubber tire covers has sparked discussions about how the tactic impacts target identification systems used by the Ukrainian armed forces.

According to Ms. Schuyler Moore, Director of Engineering at the US Central Command (CENTCOM), this tactic confuses missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/drone) guidance systems, which rely on comparing images with built-in databases.

“By covering the wings of an aircraft with rubber tires, many computer vision models have a hard time recognizing it as an aircraft,” Moore added, speaking at an AI conference hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

A close-up of a Russian Tu-95 Bear bomber with tires on the wings and top of the fuselage, at Engels-2 Air Base, taken on August 28, 2023. Photo: Maxar Technologies/Yahoo!News

Satellite imagery from late August last year first revealed the tactic being used at Russia’s Engels Air Base – 700km from the border with Ukraine, with Tu-95 and Tu-160 heavy bombers seen with rubber tyres covering their fuselages and wings.

This bizarre method appears to be a “diversion” to protect these expensive bombers from cheap Ukrainian drone attacks, which have successfully targeted other important military assets on Russian territory in the past.

On September 7 last year, a photo of a Su-34 frontline bomber covered in car tires appeared on Russian social media, showing that this unique defensive tactic is used against smaller, more agile aircraft as well. The image quickly attracted attention.

At the same time, it is clear that Ukrainian forces have begun deploying infrared-guided Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles against ground targets. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force received Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, which also use infrared guidance to lock on to targets.

These guidance systems scan for potential targets based on a preloaded data library. The “magic” coating of rubber tires hinders the system from accurately identifying targets.

Russian Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers get their tires covered at Engels-2 Air Base in Russia in 2023. Photo: Planet Labs/Yahoo!News

As CENTCOM’s Moore points out, to counter the “feint,” combat system operators need to update their databases. And that’s the crux of what makes the rubber tire coating so effective.

“If it takes you six months to update the developer’s data library, the enemy has plenty of time to adjust their tactics. If the tire is no longer effective, they can just replace it with something else,” the CENTCOM official explained.

According to her, this tactic is not limited to rubber tires, but can also be extended to many other materials to create “non-traditional camouflage” for their equipment. The US press has highlighted some of the tricks that Russia is said to have used to fool computer vision, including “silhouettes” of aircraft at air bases or submarines at naval bases.

The use of decoy tactics, such as drawing silhouettes of military assets, has been particularly prominent in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2023. The first recorded incident was in August last year, when the Russian side created a shadow for a Tu-95MS bomber on the runway at Engels Air Base, in order to deceive enemy missile systems and even satellite surveillance systems.

In early 2024, a surprising tactic emerged in Russian naval operations. British intelligence captured imagery from Novorossiysk showing the painted silhouette of a Varshavyanka-class submarine on a pier, placed next to an actual submarine. This was the first time Russia had used this decoy strategy in its navy.

By modifying the visual shape of the submarine, the effort is intended to fool drones. However, experts point out that these measures are largely ineffective against advanced radar or thermal detection technologies.

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Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/bao-ve-oanh-tac-co-bang-lop-xe-ke-nghi-binh-hieu-qua-den-dau-204240917153339408.htm