More than armor: Ukrainian stealth cloaks outperform NATO analogues and wait for mass order

Ukrainian defense industry is moving to high-tech solutions in the field of camouflage. This is stated in an article on the Telegraph. As noted, domestic producers have already mastered the production of anti-thermal ponchos based on Stealth technology.

The modern battlefield has become transparent, the author emphasizes. Sensors of different ranges (from NIR to LWIR) are able to detect the thermal trace of an object at a distance of kilometers. Unlike conventional thermal blankets, which simply keep heat inside, creating a critical "greenhouse effect," the Ukrainian development is based on controlling emissivity and reflectivity.

The use of a metallized silver layer on a nylon base allows the soldier to literally "merge" with the landscape in the range from 0.75 to 14.0 microns. Silver provides ultra-low heat emission, turning a person into a low-contrast spot for an enemy thermal imager. At the same time, the material remains vapor-permeable: sweat is removed to the outside, which prevents overheating and subsequent thermal "demasking" that usually happens with cheap analogs after 20 minutes of active movement.

However, despite the manufacturers' readiness for mass production, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Defense Procurement Agency are in no hurry to place large-scale orders. Experts emphasize that in the "war of sensors" such equipment should become a basic standard, like a bulletproof vest or helmet, because a professional UAV operator or artillerist is a resource that cannot be quickly scaled up without proper protection from detection.