Contrary to the laws of physics
At all times, camouflage was of great importance for military operations. At the strategic, operational and tactical levels, it was important to hide manpower and equipment from the eyes of the enemy. Until a certain moment, it was enough to deceive the eye of the enemy.
For example, during the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army used vertical camouflage masks, hiding from the Germans the movement of units on the front line. Distinguished masks-imitators of shrubs, masks-fences and even masks resembling destroyed buildings. For artillery pieces, vertical masks falling if necessary were used.
Swinging masks, usually placed in front of anti-tank guns, were much more effective. The camouflage structure was installed against the background of a forest, bushes and consisted of a shield no more than 5 meters wide and up to 2 meters wide. Immediately before aiming and firing, the mask was raised to a horizontal position on improvised hinges. After the shot, the structure was transferred to a camouflage position. Given the high losses among anti-tank gunners, such techniques were not at all superfluous.
Already in the post-war period, the range of individual camouflage equipment was significantly expanded in the Soviet Union.
In 1949, an infantry mask or camouflage complex No. 3 appeared, designed for heavy heavy machine guns, 82-mm mortars and separate trenches for observers. The set is based on a camouflage covering 6 by 6 meters made of 50 / 6X6L material. Such a complex abbreviation denoted the size of the mesh in millimeters (50 mm), the size of the coating (6X6 meters) and the nature of the background. In the case of camouflage kit No. 3, it was a summer vegetation background.
There were many options for using the masking kit - a vertical, horizontal and oblique mask, as well as an overlay mask. In the event of an unexpected raid by enemy aircraft, the fighters had to quickly deploy coverage and simply throw it over the materiel and calculation.
These camouflage techniques have practically not evolved over the past decades. The colors, the size of the cells of the material and its dimensions changed, but the purpose remained one - to hide objects and manpower from the naked eye of the enemy.
The advent of thermal imaging and infrared surveillance equipment seriously limited the possibilities of camouflage. This is especially critical for military vehicles. For example, to reduce the so-called thermal signature, the exhaust gases of land vehicles are mixed with outboard air. The most effective ratio is 5 parts of outside air to 1 part of exhaust gas by mass. This, of course, helps, but only if it is detected at a sufficiently large distance. In conditions of contact combat, this technique is ineffective.
In aviation, nozzles are flattened and widened to better mix hot gases with cold air. In the most orthodox cases, all "hot springs" of aircraft are brought to the top of the fuselage in the hope of reducing the likelihood of thermal direction finding from the ground. Typical examples are the American F-117 Nighthawk and B-2 Spirit.
Armored vehicles are a multi-ton piece of steel that has considerable thermal inertia. At the Moscow State Technical University. N. E. Bauman investigated the evolution of the thermal signature of a tank and an infantry fighting vehicle after the engine was turned off. It turned out that the cars were “shining” for another ten hours. And by morning, the cooled tanks have a negative contrast against the background of the warming underlying surface. During the day in the heat, the armor heats up again to 70-80 degrees and is an excellent target even with the engine turned off.
It is also possible to deceive physics and reduce the thermal radiation of equipment due to special camouflage coatings. The easiest way is to wrap the car in a layer of thermal insulation 8–10 mm thick, and even place it with a gap of a few millimeters. Just like in the split booking scheme.
In Russia, the "Cape" complex is used for such purposes, and NATO countries use the Swedish "blanket" MCS (Mobile Camouflage System) from Saab. In addition to protecting against thermal imagers and homing heads, capes reduce the likelihood of detection by radars and, to some extent, by visual means of observation.
The engine is the most "harmful" element in the thermal masking system of armored vehicles. Due to the low efficiency, the thermal energy released by the internal combustion engine is twice the mechanical work. Armored vehicles moving in a column on the march are an excellent target for high-precision weapons.
Weak consolation for stationary tanks is the auxiliary power plant, which has less thermal contrast relative to the main engine. That is why the most radical solution to the problem is to replace the internal combustion engine with an electric drive.
Of course, these are technologies of a very distant future, since capacious batteries that can be quickly charged have not yet been invented. Even the most advanced civilian lithium-ion batteries are capable of replenishing energy in 20-30 minutes. Moreover, to the detriment of the durability of the battery. Therefore, it is much more logical to look like hybrid combat vehicles capable of moving on electric traction across the battlefield, and using a traditional internal combustion engine on the march. Electric drives additionally reduce the noise of moving vehicles, which is important for reconnaissance armored vehicles.
Human protection
All of the above methods of disguise are also suitable for humans. Except for the replacement of the main heat generator - the human body. Until recently, the problem of body heat signature seemed insoluble. In many ways, this was the reason for the superiority of the modern armies of the world over terrorist organizations and bandit formations.
There are hundreds of videos on the Internet that capture the moments of the destruction of unsuspecting militants in complete darkness. For the shooter, they are just contrasting shadows on the sight screen. The ability to conduct effective combat in complete darkness and in adverse weather conditions is a hallmark of the 21st century army. It is no coincidence that third-generation thermal imagers in the United States are almost a strategic weapon and are prohibited for export.
But now the opposite process has begun - modern thermal imagers and infrared observation devices have appeared among terrorists and Islamic fundamentalists. It seems that this is the first time Israel has encountered this - Hamas and Hezbollah have learned how to shoot IDF fighters at night.
Polaris Solutions Ltd, founded in 2009 by soldiers of the Israeli army, volunteered to fend off the threat. Under the RAJUGA brand, the office produces combat accessories to reduce the visibility of soldiers on the battlefield.
The leading roles are now the Kit 300, which masks a person in the visible and infrared range. According to the developers, the whole secret is in a specific TVC (Thermal Visual Concealment) fabric, which consists of a composition of metals, microfibers and polymers. The mechanism of work of the material is similar to similar capes for heavy armored vehicles and is aimed at isolating the heat of the human body.
The manufacturer, of course, does not disclose the details of its development. But it can be assumed that the material, due to its low thermal conductivity and inertia, elementarily does not allow human heat to pass through. There is also a second option. Theoretically, it is possible to change the spectral structure of the thermal signature and take a person out of the sensitive area of observation devices. But for such a focus, an energy source is needed, which, apparently, is not available in the Israeli development.
At the moment, standard sizes of fabrics are available - TVC50, TVC100 and TVC150. Materials differ in thickness - 400, 450 and 500 microns, respectively. The material is quite dense - the weight varies from 390 to 500 g / sq. m. The maximum width of a roll of camouflage fabric or TVC Panel, which Polaris Solutions offers to cover fighters, is 1.25 m. The length varies from 60 cm to 2.5 meters. In the heaviest version, the "panel" pulls 2.5 kg, and the most compact sheet 60x60 cm weighs only 15 grams.
Experts have provided for a special structure and color of the fabric, almost completely repeating the background landscape. We are ready to make any color scheme and pattern on request, but the basic ones are rocky landscape, desert and woodlands. Commercials of the Kit 300 set made of innovative TVC fabric clearly show that a person in such a camouflage cannot be seen in a thermal imager. However, that's why he is a commercial to depict the most positive moments. The developers do not mention how the heat of the human body is removed.
TVC material is described as multispectral camouflage - a stationary person cannot be seen through a thermal imager, infrared device and ordinary binoculars.
The Israelis have developed a lot of specific uniforms based on their know-how. For example, the Sniper Kit made of TVC-100 fabric, consisting of a blanket and a backpack lining. According to the idea, the shooter is located in position, covered by a TVC Panel measuring 2, 5x1, 25 m, and puts the rifle on a backpack. A material with low thermal inertia and thermal conductivity should isolate human heat from the environment for some time.
What happens when a sniper has to lie in ambush for several hours somewhere in the desert? Overheating and heatstroke?
The Polaris Solutions collection also includes the Raid Ghillie Suit, Backu Backpack Covers and Jag Hide Personal Protective Masks.
Despite the possible inconvenience in use, Israeli developments are certainly worthy of the closest attention. With the right professionalism, individual thermal camouflage can seriously change the balance of power on the battlefield.
