Article Posted on : - Sep 06, 2011

CV90 armoured vehicle with Adaptive side on. The system (inset) combines sheets of lightweight, hexagonal metallic 'pixels' designed to change temperature very rapidly presenting a thermal pattern that optimally blends with its surrounding. Photos: BAE Systems.

ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, SWEDEN (BNS): BAE Systems has recently tested an ‘invisibility cloak’ that allows a vehicle to blend into its surroundings.

The new cloaking technology is called Adaptiv. It 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, according to a news release by the BAE Systems.

"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," Project manager, Peder Sjölund, was quoted as saying in the release.

Furthermore, the new technology can also mimic another vehicle or display identification tags, reducing the risk of fratricide.

The system can work over infra-red and other frequencies, and has been displayed in infra-red mode on a BAE Systems CV90 armoured vehicle.

Trials by the company 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.

The company will debut its new technology at the UK Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition later this month.