Russia uses car tyres to cover military aircraft to deter Ukrainian drone attacks: Report

Russia has covered their combat aircraft with car tyres in a bid to blunt any possible Ukrainian drone attacks in their military fields, a move that has been described as ‘bizarre’ and ‘unusual’.

The development was confirmed by CNN which cited satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies purportedly showing two Tu-95 strategic bombers with car tires on top of the airframes at the Engels Airbase, deep inside Russia.

Engels is one of Russia’s crucial airbases, serving as the home base for the 121st and 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiments. It is reportedly responsible for operating the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Tu-160M Blackjack and Tu-95M Bear strategic bombers, respectively.

It is believed that increased drone and missile attacks by Ukraine forced Russia to this unusual approach.

On December 5, 2022, the base faced an attack in the early hours, in which two Tu-95s were damaged. On December 26, 2022, another attack on the Engels airbase claimed the lives of three Russian Armed Forces officers.

Brace yourselves, because russians have once again showcased unparalleled innovation. What you are looking at is a satellite image featuring a TU-95 strategic bomber covered with car tires. According to them, this should protect strategic bombers from drones pic.twitter.com/ZjDDzRPOWf — Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) September 3, 2023

Crude attempt to deter attacks

Experts argue that this is just a crude attempt at not only adding an extra layer of protection but also to reduce the visibility of the aircraft at night.

“It may reduce the thermal signature for exposed strategic aviation assets placed on airfield aprons, but they will still be observable under infrared cameras,” Francisco Serra-Martins of drone manufacturer One Way Aerospace told CNN.

The Ukrainian forces have been using drones manufactured by One Way Aerospace.

Echoing similar sentiments, another expert argued that it may have little to no impact.

“While it seems pretty goofy, they seem to be trying to do the best they can to up-armour the planes that are otherwise sitting ducks. Whether it works depends on what the warhead is on the missile/drone,” Steffan Watkins, an open-source research consultant who tracks aircraft and ships, told CNN.

A NATO military official, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to CNN that the alliance was aware of this use of tyres.

“We believe it’s meant to protect against drones,” the official told CNN. “We don’t know if this will have any effect.”

Notably, this is not the first time that Russia resorted to such an unconventional method to safeguard its military assets against Ukrainian attacks.

In one instance, the Russian Navy applied paintto the front and rear sections of its Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates due to the persistent maritime drone attacks on these warships while anchored in the harbour in the Black Sea.

(With inputs from agencies)

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