Considered to be a permissible method of warfare. Ruses of war are acts intended to mislead an adversary or induce him to act recklessly but they infringe no rule of international humanitarian law and are not perfidious because they do not invite the confidence of an adversary with respect to protection under that law. Examples of ruses of war are:

  1. camouflage (natural, paints, nets, smoke);
  2. displays (decoys, feints);
  3. simulations and mock operations; and
  4. dissemination of false information.

  See also Perfidy; Methods of warfare;

OUTLINE

Chapter 9, III. 3. b) perfidy: the distinction between perfidy and permissible ruses of war

LEGAL SOURCEs

HR, 24

PI, 37/2

CIHL, 57

CASE

Sri Lanka, Naval War against Tamil Tigers

 BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES

FLECK Dieter, “Ruses of War and Prohibition of Perfidy”, in RDMDG, Vol. 13/2, 1974, pp. 269-314.   HALL Mary T., “False Colors and Dummy Ships: The Use of Ruse in Naval Warfare”, in Readings on International Law from the Naval War College Review, 1995, pp. 491-500.