Key Facts
• September 11, 2025: Japan’s Defense Equipment Agency announced a tender for balloon decoys.
• Balloon decoys mimic weapons and are inflated with air for deception purposes.
• Historical use dates back to the Kamakura period, including straw soldier decoys in battles.
• World War I and II saw extensive use of decoys to mislead enemy reconnaissance.
• Modern balloon decoys are foldable, portable, and equipped with heat sources to deceive infrared sensors.
• Ukraine used HIMARS balloon decoys to waste Russian ammunition during the ongoing conflict.
• Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) have already tested and procured balloon decoys.
• September 2024: SDF tested decoys during training on Okushiri Island, Hokkaido.
• January 2025: SDF’s Himeji base initiated a tender for artillery-mimicking balloon decoys.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Gifu plant, known for aircraft production, is the designated delivery site.
Summary
Japan’s Defense Equipment Agency is advancing the adoption of balloon decoys, a modernized version of historical deception tactics. These decoys, which mimic weapons like missiles and tanks, have proven effective in misleading enemy forces, as demonstrated in Ukraine’s use of HIMARS decoys against Russia. The Self-Defense Forces have already begun testing and procuring these decoys, with recent trials conducted in Hokkaido and tenders issued for further acquisitions. The involvement of Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Gifu plant suggests the potential development of aircraft-mimicking decoys. This initiative highlights the growing importance of cost-effective and portable deception tools in modern warfare.
