A South Korean life jacket manufacturer is producing inflatable F-35 decoys designed to make enemies waste costly ammunition.
Developed by Gimhae-based Seawolf Marine, the balloon decoy is trailer-ready and can be deployed by two people in just 10 minutes.
Beyond mimicking the jet’s shape, it emits electromagnetic waves and generates heat to attract hostile radars and infrared sensors. It can also be controlled remotely to imitate realistic flight patterns.
In a video that recently made rounds online, the F-35 decoy is shown inflating to full size almost instantly, highlighting its portability and rapid deployment.
The footage also emphasized how lightweight and compact the system is before inflation, and how it quickly assumes a realistic jet silhouette once fully expanded.
The decoy made its debut at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition event in Washington.
A Growing Market
The war in Ukraine has shown how drones have become a key tool for striking high-value targets. Inflatable decoys like the F-35 balloons provide a low-cost way to divert these attacks away from real assets.
In 2024, a Ukrainian military commander said his troops were able to dupe Russia into believing that it had successfully taken out Ukrainian fighter jets.
The British Army has supported this war strategy, sending “IKEA-style” decoys to Ukrainian frontline troops to help deceive enemy threats.
“They look just like the real thing. You could be quite easily fooled,” said Royal Marine Colonel Ollie Todd, as quoted by Pravda.
The global market for inflatable decoys, currently valued at $1.1 billion, is projected to grow to $1.9 billion over the next decade.
