Russian planes in open airfields are still easy targets for Ukrainian drones and missiles.

The U.S. Department of Defense has provided insights into the purpose behind the unusual practice of covering Russian military aircraft with tires, a method observed at various airfields.

This approach, which began in September 2023, is primarily used to protect strategic bombers such as the Tu-95MS and Tu-160, but is less common for tactical aircraft like the Su-34 frontline bombers. Here are the main reasons behind this tactic, as emphasized by Schuyler Moore, U.S. Central Command’s chief technology officer:

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1.Disrupting AI-Powered missile guidance systems: Covering aircraft with tires may interfere with artificial intelligence (AI) used in missile guidance systems. AI-based systems, such as computer vision models, rely on recognizing specific shapes, like the silhouette of an aircraft. By placing tires on the fuselage and wings, the shape of the plane becomes distorted, making it harder for AI algorithms to identify the aircraft as a target.

2.Camouflaging the aircraft's infrared signature: Experts suggest that the tires may also help reduce the infrared (heat) signature of the aircraft.

By covering parts of the plane, the tires could potentially mask the heat emitted, helping to evade heat-seeking missiles like Ukraine’s Storm Shadow/SCALP and Neptune cruise missiles, which use passive homing based on infrared sensors.

A Russian TU-95M bomber covered with tires. Satellite image

3.Physical protection: While the tires offer some degree of physical protection, their effectiveness in shielding the aircraft from missile strikes or drone attacks is questionable. However, this could be an additional reason why the Russian military has employed this tactic, especially for valuable strategic assets like the Tu-22M3 bombers.

4.Confusing smart seekers: Another technique involves painting aircraft silhouettes on the ground and covering these drawings with tires. This method is intended to deceive AI-guided weapons by luring them toward decoy targets rather than the actual aircraft. The combination of tire coatings and false silhouettes may further complicate identification by smart missile seekers during the terminal phase of their flight.

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Although the tactic is not entirely foolproof and may be easily countered, it has been used consistently by Russian forces at bases such as Olenya and Engels.

Yet, the presence of tires on aircraft stationed far from conflict zones, like the Ukrainka air base, remains puzzling, as these locations are well out of reach of Ukrainian drones or missiles. Despite this, Ukraine has successfully struck Russian bombers at Olenya, using AI-based drones capable of airburst detonation, showing that the tire coverings do not fully protect the aircraft.

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