BAE has tested its new Adaptiv ‘invisibility cloak’ system on a CV90120 armored vehicle; the system appears particularly effective in infra-red mode. (BAES photo)
Posted on 09/06/2011 8:34:57 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
BAE Systems Conjures Up Invisibility Cloak
(Source: BAE Systems; issued September 5, 2011)
ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, Sweden. --- BAE Systems has tested an ‘invisibility cloak’ that allows a vehicle to blend into its surroundings. The system, which can work over infra-red and other frequencies, will be displayed in infra-red mode on a BAE Systems CV90 armoured vehicle at the UK Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition later this month.
Known as "Adaptiv", the patented technology is based on sheets of hexagonal 'pixels' that can change temperature very rapidly. On-board cameras pick up the background scenery and display that infra-red image on the vehicle, allowing even a moving tank to match its surroundings. Alternatively, it can mimic another vehicle or display identification tags, reducing the risk of fratricide.
Current work focuses mainly on the infra-red spectrum, as this is most important to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), which funds part of the work. However, BAE Systems engineers have combined the pixels with other technologies, which provide camouflage in other parts of the electro-magnetic spectrum at the same time to provide all-round stealth, which will be developed further over the next few years.
Trials by BAE Systems in mid-July showed that one side of a CV90 could be made effectively invisible or appear to be other objects, including a 4x4 vehicle, when viewed in the infra-red spectrum.
Project manager, Peder Sjölund explains: "Earlier attempts at similar cloaking devices have hit problems because of cost, excessive power requirements or because they were insufficiently robust. Our panels can be made so strong that they provide useful armour protection and consume relatively low levels of electricity, especially when the vehicle is at rest in 'stealth recce' mode and generator output is low."
He adds: "We can resize the pixels to achieve stealth for different ranges. A warship or building, for instance, might not need close-up stealth, so could be fitted with larger panels."
-ends-
BAE has tested its new Adaptiv ‘invisibility cloak’ system on a CV90120 armored vehicle; the system appears particularly effective in infra-red mode. (BAES photo)
Aye, Captain. Looks Romulan to me.
This will end up like most other programs BAE Systems starts. In the garbage heap. For the life of me I cannot figure out what the hell BAE is doing. They hired a clown(Gary Slack) who refuses to see programs through. He wins TD contracts(Technology Development) from the govt, gets the program to the EMD phase and then he lays off everyone who got him there, then BAE gets it’s azz kicked in the EMD phase. The guy is the Al Davis of the Defense Industry. I have been on the pink slip end of two of these programs JLTV and NLOS Cannon. I should have learned my lesson after NLOS, but no, I went back for more and got the same treatment with the JLTV program.
anyone see a big black tank? I don’t see any big black tank.
Nah, this has already been done by Q
That and robotic war systems are the wave of the future.
Two Scandinavian countries have access to NATO, meaning USA technologies and Sweden cannot afford to be caught out in the open with its pants down and not a robot in sight.
Even the Chicoms and Nationalist Chinese are competing with "invisible to radar" ships at sea.
“Aerial spraying by military vehicles could accomplish the same.”
How would they know where to spray?
Sure. See how long your sprayer lasts or how long you live getting that close with a spray can.
It will come apart quickly enough in the stresses of combat, never you mind. But this is only the first generation.
Yep.
But could you imagine this stuff on a stealthy drone...
Didn’t you read the article? This is talking about “invisibility” in the infrared spectrum, not visible light. Dust, dirt, spraypaint, etc have no bearing at all in that regard.
Saab is pretty near invisible right now.
That is truly amazing! The only thing that sold him out were the shoes and the small hint of neck. Otherwise, a casual glance would not reveal him. Nice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.