Seawolf Marine, a South Korean life jacket manufacturer, has entered the defense market with inflatable F-35 decoys designed to mislead enemy forces.
The Gimhae-based company says the system folds into a compact box, inflates within minutes, and can be deployed by two operators in about 10 minutes. Once inflated, it replicates the size and shape of an F-35 fighter.
F-35 Inflatable Decoy System (IDS) pic.twitter.com/dlCHvteDlk
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The system emits electromagnetic waves and heat to resemble a real jet on radar and infrared sensors. The decoy can also be remotely controlled to simulate flight patterns.
Seawolf previously produced inflatable mockups of the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K1A2 tank, weighing 163 and 172 kilograms respectively. The company has also developed decoys of the U.S.-made HIMARS launcher, all of which were displayed at the Association of the United States Army exposition in Washington, D.C.
As advanced weapons and drones grow costlier, inexpensive decoys are gaining traction as both protection and deterrence tools. Market analysts expect the global inflatable decoy industry to grow from $1.1 billion in 2023 to $1.9 billion by 2030, according to data cited by the company.
