Russian forces will be given “invisibility cloaks” which will fully protect them from heat-detection cameras, a Russian contractor has claimed.
The cloaks, developed by military tech firm HiderX, are a “completely new product”, and would make geared-up soldiers “look like an unnatural object” to obscure them from “hostile heat seekers”.
Other cloaking technologies fail to completely hide the silhouette of the target, which HiderX's new product manages to solve.
“We design a completely new product - a camouflage suit that dilutes the silhouette,” HiderX told Russian state-owned news agency Tass.
“It is a completely Russian technology that coats the fabric with a specific mixture.
Video shows one totally invisible man unveiling himself through a thermal imaging camera.
HiderX
“It is our know-how, and we shall not disclose the details.
“The suit screens the surrounding temperature of the objects… It effectively camouflages Russian soldiers against hostile heat seekers.”
The camouflage suit, as HiderX call it, is still in development but may be ready for active use by the end of January.
The firm was critical of existing Russian military tech, and said the methods Russian troops were using in Ukraine were “inefficient” and “do not fully conceal the object”.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Vladimir Putin's forces will need any technological advances they can get as the war in Ukraine rolls on
ReutersHiderX said the suits will weigh a mere 350g and could even be carried in a soldier’s pocket.
The firm continued: “We learned to hide the object from a heat seeker, conceal its heat signature.
“The products are used in commando units. The camouflage suit makes a soldier look like an unnatural object. Heat seekers see the silhouette diluted.
“We took pains to develop the suit. Trials are ongoing and have to be completed by the end of January.”
The suits are similar to “space blankets” – another kind of heat camouflage technology which has been in use for decades.
The firm shared footage of “test results” on popular Russian social media site Telegram.
Despite videos showing the comparative advantage of wearing one of these suits while stationary, the technology was easier to spot when wearers were moving.
Despite their interviews with Tass, HiderX’s claims cannot be independently verified.