Sweden rolls out invisible infrared tank

Sweden rolls out invisible infrared tank

www.theregister.co.uk

Engineers in Sweden have announced the development of a prototype tank which is covered in "pixels" that enable it to disappear from thermal images – or to disguise itself as something else.

The "Adaptiv" system, funded by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), covers the test vehicle in hexagonal panels whose temperature can be quickly adjusted. The vehicle's own thermal cameras scan the background against which the tank is seen from each aspect, and the system can then adjust the pixels to match, making it very hard to see using thermal imaging systems. Alternatively, t

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Thermoptic Active Camo here we come!

The first major implementation of adaptive vehicular active camo, courtesy of BAE, has been introduced in Sweden. It will be only a short time before the technology pops up in the UK and the US.

These thermal cells are pretty amazing, able to match current temperatures and making the tank appear invisible on TIS (Thermal Imaging Systems) and FLIR (Foward Looking Infrared). Anyone can tell you who has been in combat arms, that trying to visually locate a tank without the use of infrared is a giant pain in the arse. Modern tanks can engage targets out to 4000 meters, so if there's no hotspot to see, they are virtually invisible.

Whats even more amazing is the potential application of this technology to personnel in some form of suit, which would make boots on the ground invisible to various systems, enabling infiltration in ways once thought impossible and creating the perfect scout-sniper.

BAE of course is working to expand the cells into Optical, which would produce what most people think of as invisibility. The cells would project imagery from around it, making it appear transparent.

I hope they name the tank Predator.

www.theregister.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

It can hide, but it cant run!!!!
So it can appear as something else but I dont think any millitary would care if it were a tank or a camel if it moves its dead!
And to think almost a million will die from famine in somalia this month, I wonder how much this costs?

reply to post by AllUrChips


You would be amazed how many kills a tank can get if its not seen, hidden in a battle position.

Imagine an entire armor platoon or company using this technology, the kill ratio would insane. Plus its wonderful camo against gunships and tank hunters.

This coming from a former US Army armor crewman, among other things.

As for Africa, the world for some reason doesn't care about it unless the nation has resources. Even then, it doesn't really care about the people in the nation, only the resources.

As a swede i am outraged that this is where my tax money is going. (we pay 34% tax over here fyi)

I can imagine if i was american, and this was an american invention/breaktrough though, i would be proud (judging from the mindset of most americans around here...)

The money wasted here could probably feed a whole african country for a month.

reply to post by NeoVain


What about the BAE jobs it has brought to Sweden? That has to be of some benefit. The numerous people who will work on building each tank, maintaining them and servicing them? Its a rather large number of jobs that a project like this supports, especially the multiple parts manufacturers.

Right now in Somalia, guerillas are hoarding and stealing humanitarian aid from the UN. More food is not a viable answer, but a tank like this could help those people get food by protecting UN aid convoys and distribution sites.

Originally posted by NeoVain
As a swede i am outraged that this is where my tax money is going. (we pay 34% tax over here fyi)

I can imagine if i was american, and this was an american invention/breaktrough though, i would be proud (judging from the mindset of most americans around here...)

The money wasted here could probably feed a whole african country for a month.

Is that counting all various forms of sales tax?

I currently pay 33% tax, live in the US and that is not counting any form of tax other then taxes on my wages.

Originally posted by NeoVain
As a swede i am outraged that this is where my tax money is going. (we pay 34% tax over here fyi)

I can imagine if i was american, and this was an american invention/breaktrough though, i would be proud (judging from the mindset of most americans around here...)

The money wasted here could probably feed a whole african country for a month.

I disagree. Here in Australia Volvo car drivers are the worst on the road - this is a well known fact
- now imagine if you will, every Volvo has this technology...(Volvo is Swedish car if you did not know)

ergo - we dont see volvos on our roads any more

and by the way the highest tax rate we poor aussies pay on income is 48.5% and on things we buy a 10%GST - and we dont have stealth tanks, or even a stealth bicycle to show for those tax dollars !

at least you got something to show for it

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by NeoVain

 

What about the BAE jobs it has brought to Sweden? That has to be of some benefit. The numerous people who will work on building each tank, maintaining them and servicing them? Its a rather large number of jobs that a project like this supports, especially the multiple parts manufacturers.

Right now in Somalia, guerillas are hoarding and stealing humanitarian aid from the UN. More food is not a viable answer, but a tank like this could help those people get food by protecting UN aid convoys and distribution sites.

Those jobs where all payed for by my taxes. I would rather that everyone have more money in their pockets so they can afford to spend mode, thereby boosting other, productive and actually usueful businesses for civilians.

And if the somalians had enough food, their would be no need for stealing it in the first place. Scarcity is what kick starts the survival instinct, where people rob and steal to survive.

Originally posted by Azdraik

Originally posted by NeoVain
As a swede i am outraged that this is where my tax money is going. (we pay 34% tax over here fyi)

I can imagine if i was american, and this was an american invention/breaktrough though, i would be proud (judging from the mindset of most americans around here...)

The money wasted here could probably feed a whole african country for a month.

Is that counting all various forms of sales tax?

I currently pay 33% tax, live in the US and that is not counting any form of tax other then taxes on my wages.

34% is income tax only. Then we have a 12% sales tax on food, 25% on everything else, which is added on top. as well as a bunch of other retarded taxes.

Should work just fine at night.

Till someone starts rolling up some 120mm parachute flares. then its game on.

reply to post by NeoVain


I'm sure the US would be happy to buy the useless technology off of Sweden in exchange for investment in more
useful programs.

You won't get your taxes back, but look at it as us subsidizing your healthcare or another useful program.

Originally posted by NeoVain
As a swede i am outraged that this is where my tax money is going. (we pay 34% tax over here fyi)

I can imagine if i was american, and this was an american invention/breaktrough though, i would be proud (judging from the mindset of most americans around here...)

The money wasted here could probably feed a whole african country for a month.

As an american I am outraged!

US has had this technology for a while... used in some planes. Look up and you dont see anything... maybe some of the rumble sounds folks have heard but see nothing???

Yet the money to help US citizens whose families are starving and homeless due SOLELY to crooked Wall Street thugs and crooked politicians has dried up... YEA RIGHT!!!!!!!

...but at least we have invisible Wonder-woman planes up there. Real nice...

Originally posted by HangTheTraitors
US has had this technology for a while... used in some planes. Look up and you dont see anything... maybe some of the rumble sounds folks have heard but see nothing???

Yet the money to help US citizens whose families are starving and homeless due SOLELY to crooked Wall Street thugs and crooked politicians has dried up... YEA RIGHT!!!!!!!

...but at least we have invisible Wonder-woman planes up there. Real nice...

dont suppose you hae a photo of that plane?

Ooooo! A fancy prototype for murderers to murder people with! Yaaaay!!!

All of the military murderous f**ks will love this baby-sqasher!

YeHAAAAW!!!! (squish) Can't even see me! HA! (kaSQUASH!)

I wish there were an actual hell to send all of the War Pigs to!!!



10 men and 3 women in my family have died in conflict on foreign soil!!! Now, we'll be up against INVISIBLE TANKS???

Originally posted by Shadowalker
Should work just fine at night.

Till someone starts rolling up some 120mm parachute flares. then its game on.

Have you been in night ops? 120mm mortar flares light up the sky sure enough, but they didn't help me much in locating well hidden positions, even with NVGs. TIS was far more useful but if thermal is neutralized thats useless.

Short of Ground Surveillance Radar and LADAR it would be difficult to find a well hidden position 4000 meters out.

This is really neat, although it can be defeated simply by a single soldier with a pair of binoculars, lol. I suppose this would be great for, as you mentioned, protecting against being sighted in less than ideal conditions. This would also help prevent sightings from the air, which is a big deal, especially if there are many tanks in the same general area.

So this is impressive, as are most technological advancements, and I can't wait to see what is furthered developed from this technology.

This stuff was elementary to einstein.

Originally posted by MikeboydUS
reply to post by AllUrChips

 

You would be amazed how many kills a tank can get if its not seen, hidden in a battle position.

Imagine an entire armor platoon or company using this technology, the kill ratio would insane. Plus its wonderful camo against gunships and tank hunters.

This coming from a former US Army armor crewman, among other things.

As for Africa, the world for some reason doesn't care about it unless the nation has resources. Even then, it doesn't really care about the people in the nation, only the resources.

edit on 5/9/11 by MikeboydUS because: add

It will be quite a big deal, especially when they get the visual cloaking down as well. You won't be able to locate them till they are already killing you. It won't be too far in the future before they can superimpose the landscape behind an object, in front of said object, in effect making it nearly invisible/perfectly camouflaged.

If they can hide from thermal imaging, it will take away some of the most effective anti-vehicle weapons. Much easier to see and hit a hot running tank than a cold tank in the same area.