The fake armor soldiers learn to spot

Introduction

Not every realistic enemy vehicle used in military training is a captured foreign machine. For decades, armies have relied on surrogate armoured vehicles—domestic vehicles modified to resemble hostile tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and reconnaissance platforms at battlefield distances. The goal is not perfect duplication. It is to create a target that looks, moves and behaves convincingly enough that soldiers make the same recognition and engagement decisions they would against a real opponent. In the context of reverse engineering foreign military technology, these surrogates represent a practical application of intelligence gathered about foreign equipment: the details that matter most for training are translated into visible cues that can be reproduced affordably and repeatedly.[Wikipedia]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

The most successful examples have often been deliberately deceptive. At a kilometre or more, a modified domestic vehicle may present the silhouette, turret shape and battlefield profile of a foreign armoured threat even though the engine, armour and chassis underneath are entirely different.[Army]army.milANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleOctober 12, 2017 — 12 Oct 2017 — ANAD is completing overhaul of 14 M113A3/BMP-2 Opp…Published: October 12, 2017

Why 1,000 metres can be realistic enough

Combat identification rarely occurs under ideal conditions. Dust, smoke, terrain, weather, vegetation and stress all reduce the amount of detail available to soldiers. Training centres therefore discovered that a vehicle does not need to be an exact replica to teach recognition skills effectively.

The U.S. Army’s Opposing Force (OPFOR) formations at the National Training Center in California became famous for this approach. M551 Sheridan light tanks were fitted with visual modification kits, or “VISMODs”, that altered their appearance to resemble Soviet and later Russian vehicles including T-55s, T-72s, T-80s and BMP-series fighting vehicles. Hundreds were converted for this role. From typical battlefield observation ranges, the altered silhouette was often more important than precise dimensions or armour construction.[Wikipedia]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

The Army later applied the same principle to other platforms. Anniston Army Depot described modern Opposing Forces Surrogate Vehicles based on the M113 armoured personnel carrier as looking “a lot like Russian combat vehicles” from roughly 1,000 metres away despite being American vehicles underneath.[Army]army.milANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleOctober 12, 2017 — 12 Oct 2017 — ANAD is completing overhaul of 14 M113A3/BMP-2 Opp…Published: October 12, 2017

This distance-based realism reflects how crews actually identify threats. A tank commander may first recognise a turret outline, a hull profile or a vehicle’s movement pattern long before seeing fine details. Training therefore emphasises rapid recognition under uncertainty rather than museum-level accuracy.

Visual kits versus real vehicle copying

The VISMOD philosophy

A visual modification programme begins with identifying the characteristics soldiers are most likely to observe. Designers then alter those features while leaving the underlying vehicle largely unchanged.

The Cold War-era Sheridan VISMODs illustrate the method. The vehicles received external structures, false turrets and altered hull shapes that transformed their appearance into Soviet-style armour. Blank-firing devices and laser engagement systems added realistic battlefield effects without requiring actual foreign weapons.[wikipedia.org]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

The advantage was logistical simplicity. Training units could maintain familiar American vehicles while presenting trainees with recognisable enemy silhouettes. Captured Soviet tanks were scarce, difficult to maintain and unavailable in the quantities needed for large exercises. VISMOD fleets could be repaired using domestic supply chains and operated continuously.[Wikipedia]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

Modern surrogate vehicles

As older Sheridans aged out of service, the Army increasingly shifted to M113-based surrogate vehicles. Modern Opposing Forces Surrogate Vehicles use modified M113A3 hulls and altered turrets derived from other American vehicles to imitate BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and Russian-style main battle tanks.[dla.mil]dla.milDefense Logistics AgencyANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVsAccording to the OSV's training manual, the vehicle is a modified version…

The concept has expanded beyond tracked vehicles. Humvees have been modified to resemble BRDM-2 reconnaissance vehicles, while more recent training initiatives developed lightweight kits capable of transforming standard military trucks into representations of T-72 tanks or BTR-series armoured carriers. The objective remains the same: create recognisable threat signatures without building or purchasing actual foreign vehicles.[kitmaker.net]forums.kitmaker.netKit Maker Network HMMWV VISMOD OPFOR BRDM-2 Surrogate TrainingWell, here's some photos of American HMMWV Visually Modified (VISMOD) Opposing Force (OPFOR) BRDM-2…Read more…

An interesting evolution is the use of entertainment-industry expertise. In 2019, the Idaho Army National Guard worked with a Hollywood special-effects company to create visual modification kits that converted Humvees into convincing representations of Russian armoured vehicles for major exercises.[National Guard]nationalguard.milnew vehicle vismods could transform army trainingNational GuardNew vehicle Vismods could transform Army training29 Oct 2019 — The improvements involve a new visual modification kit that…

Training recognition under battlefield pressure

The value of surrogate armour lies less in the vehicle itself than in the decisions it forces trainees to make.

During large-scale exercises, soldiers encounter formations that look and manoeuvre like enemy units. They must distinguish tanks from infantry fighting vehicles, estimate threat levels, prioritise targets and communicate identifications quickly. The training objective is cognitive rather than technical: teaching personnel to recognise hostile systems under pressure.[Wikipedia]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

The National Training Center’s OPFOR units became particularly influential because they combined visual surrogates with doctrine, tactics and battlefield behaviour modelled on foreign forces. A vehicle that merely looks like a BMP is useful; a vehicle that looks like a BMP while moving, scouting and fighting in ways associated with foreign armoured doctrine is far more effective as a learning tool.[Wikipedia]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

Laser-based engagement systems reinforced this realism. Modified vehicles could simulate weapon fire and register hits during force-on-force exercises, allowing entire armoured battles to be conducted without live ammunition. The visual appearance therefore became part of a broader training environment rather than a stand-alone deception.[Reddit]reddit.comTalk to me about this modified M551: r/TankPornIt is an OPFOR modified M551. They converted them to look like Soviet tanks, simula…

What surrogate armour reveals about foreign technology exploitation

Surrogate armoured vehicles occupy a middle ground between intelligence collection and full-scale replication. Reverse engineering programmes may uncover precise technical details about foreign vehicles, but training organisations often need only a subset of that information: shape, dimensions, visible equipment layout and battlefield behaviour.

The history of VISMOD and surrogate vehicle programmes shows that armies frequently prioritise perceptual realism over engineering duplication. Intelligence about foreign armour is distilled into the features soldiers actually see and react to during combat. Those features are then recreated on domestic platforms that are cheaper, safer and easier to maintain.[wikipedia.org]WikipediaM551 SheridanM551 Sheridan

The result is the distinctive phenomenon of “fake armour”: vehicles that are obviously not authentic on close inspection but sufficiently convincing at operational distances to train recognition, targeting and tactical decision-making. Their success demonstrates that for many training purposes, realism is measured not by exact copying but by whether troops respond as if the threat were real.[army.mil]army.milANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | ArticleOctober 12, 2017 — 12 Oct 2017 — ANAD is completing overhaul of 14 M113A3/BMP-2 Opp…Published: October 12, 2017

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to The fake armor soldiers learn to spot. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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Team Yankee

By Harold Coyle

Features realistic identification of armored threats under pressure.

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Boyd

By Robert Coram

Relevant to battlefield observation and rapid decisions.

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Skunk Works

By Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos

Illustrates practical military system replication and testing.

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Armored Cav

By Tom Clancy

Explains armored warfare and vehicle recognition in training.

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Endnotes

1. Source: Wikipedia
Title: M551 Sheridan
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M551_Sheridan

2. Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vismod

3. Source: army.mil
Title: ANAD teamwork ensures completion of OSVs | Article
Link:https://www.army.mil/article/195090/anad_teamwork_ensures_completion_of_osvs

Published: October 12, 2017

4. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/8jrw3f/talk_to_me_about_this_modified_m551/

5. Source: forums.kitmaker.net
Title: Kit Maker Network HMMWV VISMOD OPFOR BRDM-2 Surrogate Training
Link:https://forums.kitmaker.net/t/hmmwv-vismod-opfor-brdm-2-surrogate-training-vehicle/55763

6. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/1thgbs7/american_m113a3_opfor_surrogate_vehicle_these/

7. Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/1hm454d/what_is_this_tank/

8. Source: nationalguard.mil
Title: new vehicle vismods could transform army training
Link:https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/2001429/new-vehicle-vismods-could-transform-army-training/

9. Source: dla.mil
Link:https://www.dla.mil/About-DLA/News/News-Article-View/Article/1338320/anad-teamwork-ensures-completion-of-osvs/

10. Source: laststandonzombieisland.com
Link:https://laststandonzombieisland.com/tag/vismod/

Additional References

11. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
Link:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AAn_Opposing_Forces_%28OpFor%29M-551_Sheridan_light_tank_visually_modified_to_resemble_a_Soviet_BMP-1_infantry_fighting_vehicle_crosses_a_concertina_wire_obstacle_while_on_the_attack_du-DPLA-_cd4a7a11341dd08aea208aecfd64ff8c.jpeg

12. Source: picryl.com
Link:https://picryl.com/media/an-opposing-forces-opfor-m-551-sheridan-light-tank-visually-modified-to-resemble-94206f

Published: May 1986

13. Source: nara.getarchive.net
Link:https://nara.getarchive.net/media/an-opposing-forces-opfor-m-551-sheridan-light-tank-visually-modified-to-resemble-94206f

14. Source: twz.com
Title: army has newly modified vehicles for impersonating russian and french types
Link:https://www.twz.com/army-has-newly-modified-vehicles-for-impersonating-russian-and-french-types

15. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1517970645129354/posts/4422992587960464/

16. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO5LWidCUBs

17. Source: medium.com
Link:https://medium.com/%40carbonemd/chapter-26-joining-the-soviet-32nd-guards-motorized-rifle-regiment-opfor-at-[fort-irwin

18. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/Tankersofficial/posts/m113-vismod-at-the-national-training-center-ntc-in-fort-irwin-california-the-m11/964020792669113/

19. Source: dvidshub.net
Title: ilsc increases army readiness through opposing forces surrogate vehicle program
Link:https://www.dvidshub.net/news/357905/ilsc-increases-army-readiness-through-opposing-forces-surrogate-vehicle-program

20. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/wotcfb/posts/9029374577128759/