(7 Mar 2023)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Decin, Czech Republic - 6 March 2023
1. Various of man taking fake inflatable HIMAR (rocket launcher system) out of case and unrolling
2. SOUNDBITE (Czech) Vojtech Fresser, CEO of Inflatech:
“Based on what we are aware, we are globally the top producer. When anyone in the world is using these decoys that are truly effective, then we strongly believe they come from us, because you cannot find any more effective ones.”
3. Various of man inflating decoy HIMAR
4. Wide of inflated decoy HIMAR
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Poven Kumaresan, Marketing Director at Inflatech:
“This thing is a sudden boom because before this, it was only a very small market of people that know about that we even exist and that we are doing such a decoy. But now with the awareness and how we have been spending a little bit more with budgets with marketing and sales, and that’s where I come in. There are more inquiries, there are more people who want to know, a lot of them don’t know that there is such a thing available.”
6. Various of women at sewing machine producing decoys
7. SOUNDBITE (Czech) Vojtech Fresser, CEO of Inflatech:
“Even though I wish and prefer to be making toys for children, first we have to secure a safe world for children and then I hope we can go back to producing civilian products.”
8. Various of man inflating decoy tanks
9. Various of fully inflated decoy tank
10. Man unplugging inflator
11. Mid of decoy tank deflating
12. Various of men packing up deflated decoy tank
STORYLINE:
The war in Ukraine has created a surge in demand for weapons — and, apparently, also for inflatable fake armaments that can be deployed as decoys.
A Czech company, Inflatech, is producing more than 30 different inflatable military decoys ranging from tanks and armoured vehicles to aircraft and howitzers.
They also offer decoy versions of U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems, that were among the billions of dollars in Western military aid that has helped Ukraine's war effort since Russia launched its invasion just over a year ago.
Inflatech Chief Executive Vojtech Fresser won't say if his decoys are used by Ukrainian forces battling Russian invaders, but he said Monday that his business was up by more than 30% last year.
He expects growth to keep rising in double figures for at least another three to five years.
Inflatech, based in the northern town of Decin, currently produces up to 50 decoys a month. They are sold to a number of unspecified countries, and all such exports have to be approved by the government of the NATO member.
The company uses light materials, such as artificial silk, so the total weight of a fake tank is up to 100 kilograms.
It takes four soldiers to operate a decoy, with 10 minutes being enough to unwrap and inflate a fake piece of military hardware.
The decoys can contribute to victory by fooling enemy forces. The trick is to deceive cameras, thermo-cameras and radars to make them believe they have pinpointed a valuable target and use expensive missiles to destroy it.
The decoys that originally were developed for training purposes can cost up to $100,000 each.
Fresser said he would prefer to make toys for kids.
“But first, we have to secure a safe world for them. Then, we’ll hopefully return to civilian projects.”
AP video shot by Adam Pemble
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