Expert Analysis

Breaking News: War Is Deceptive and the Washington Post Just Figured It Out

BY Brandon Webb

A military aircraft dressed up to look civilian is not a scandal, it is standard operating procedure in a world where the enemy studies your silhouettes, hunts your patterns, and kills you for being predictable.

A military aircraft painted to pass as civilian is not a headline-worthy horror show, it is the oldest trick in warfare: blend in, strike fast, and deny the enemy a clean target. Image credit,: SOFREP.

Every few months, the media stumbles out of its climate-controlled cubicle and “discovers” modern warfare like a tourist finding fire.

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This week’s gem is the breathless pearl clutcher that a U.S. plane used in a boat strike was made to look like a civilian aircraft. Cue the ominous music, the shocked anchors, and the implication that something uniquely evil has occurred.

“U.S. plane used in boat strike was made to look like civilian aircraft”

Let me save everyone some time. That Washington Post headline is ridiculous.

If you have spent even five minutes in the real world of military or clandestine operations, this would not register as news. It would barely qualify as a footnote. Warfare is not a uniform parade with everyone wearing matching jerseys and politely announcing their intentions. It is deception layered on deception, wrapped in practicality, and delivered at high speed.

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The idea that militaries use civilian-looking aircraft or vehicles is about as shocking as learning water is wet.

During Vietnam, CIA pilots flew Air America aircraft that looked like civilian transports while moving troops, supplies, and running missions that never made it into polite history books.

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During the Iran-Contra affair, civilian cargo planes were used to ferry weapons and equipment into denied areas. Special Operations Forces (SOF) across the globe routinely use non-tactical vehicles because nothing screams “shoot me” like a shiny armored convoy in the middle of a crowded city.

This is not some American innovation cooked up by Hegseth’s team in a Pentagon basement.

During World War II, the British ran Q ships, warships disguised as harmless merchant vessels, to lure and destroy German U-boats.

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Resistance movements in occupied Europe used civilian cars, trucks, and clothing because blending in was the difference between success and a shallow grave.

Intelligence services from every major power have used commercial aircraft, fishing boats, and delivery vans to move people and hardware quietly. If it rolls, floats, or flies, someone has used it with a purpose that would make a newsroom intern faint.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that modern commentators seem allergic to. Deception in war is not immoral. It is foundational. The entire profession is built on surprise, misdirection, and exploiting the enemy’s assumptions. If your opponent is armed, organized, and actively trying to kill you, disguising your movements is not a crime against humanity. It is basic survival. Now let’s get one thing straight before the outrage machine overheats. Avoiding civilian casualties is not optional. It is a moral, legal, and strategically imperative. Any professional force worth a damn works hard to minimize harm to noncombatants. That part matters. But once you step outside targeting civilians, the gloves should absolutely come off. War is not an AMC courtroom drama. It is violence with rules, not violence without teeth. The fantasy that combatants should only use clearly marked gear, neatly labeled vehicles, and socially approved aesthetics is a luxury belief held by people who have never been shot at. The enemy does not play by those rules. They hide among civilians, use civilian infrastructure, and exploit the very restraint the West imposes on itself. Pretending otherwise is how you get good people killed. What really sticks in my throat is the media’s chronic inability to understand the profession they comment on. They talk about “the military” as if it is a single hive mind in matching outfits. They blur distinctions, mislabel roles, and routinely confuse soldiers, sailors, Marines, and Airmen like they are interchangeable action figures on a shelf. This is not a minor detail. Each branch has a different mission, culture, and way of fighting. When the mainstream press cannot even get that right, their moral outrage about tactics rings hollow. It is hard to take lectures on warfare seriously from people who do not understand the basics of who does what, where, and why. So no, a plane made to look civilian is not a scandal. It is a reminder that war is ugly, complex, and indifferent to headlines. The real scandal is a media ecosystem that keeps pretending otherwise, then acts surprised when reality refuses to behave.
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