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Drone technology has been one of the most game-changing developments in the last 50 years of warfare. From US MQ-9 Reaper strikes in the Middle East to Russian Geran-3 attacks in Ukraine, drones have taken on a larger and larger role in modern warfare.
One of the more recent developments in drone warfare is the advent of small, first-person-view drones used in a hunter-killer capacity. These small drones, which can be equipped to drop small munitions, or simply detonate themselves like a 21st-century kamikaze, are one of the most terrifying forces on the modern battlefield.
One only has to watch a few of the videos coming out of the Ukraine war (I don’t recommend this; they are often disturbing) to understand the psychological toll that drone warfare takes on the human combatants. In such an environment, soldiers are desperate for any advantage they can get.
Thermal-cloaking materials provide one such advantage. Although the technology is still in its infancy, it could prove to be a crucial step in countering the dominance of small drones on today's battlefields.
More advanced thermal cameras are strong enough to track a person by the heat of his footprints, under the right conditions.
Many drones use thermal cameras to locate the enemy. Thermal has obvious advantages over regular imaging. For example, a soldier hidden in thick brush might be invisible to a regular camera, but such a cover won’t hide him from a thermal camera. To combat this new threat, there is a rush to develop camouflage technology that can conceal its wearer from thermal as well as regular cameras.
Thermal cameras are very simple in principle. They detect heat, so a warm-blooded human stands out like a sore thumb amid his cooler, inanimate surroundings. Heat signatures from vehicles make them vulnerable as well. More advanced thermal cameras are strong enough to track a person by the heat of his footprints, under the right conditions.
Thermal-shielding camouflage already exists to some extent. Relv Camo sells products (only available to NATO militaries or U.S. citizens) that include some thermal-shielding elements. Their Eclipse camo line uses lightweight fabric, non-reflective materials, and other technology not publicly available to provide “a lightweight solution for signature management on the battlefield.”
These camo fabrics, which can be used as a sort of loose poncho to conceal a soldier on the battlefield, remain effective for stretches of about 13 minutes, according to Relv. The issue is when the fabric comes in contact with the human body underneath and heat is transferred. They are most effective when draped loosely for short periods of time or suspended from branches or posts so that air can flow between the fabric and the person underneath.
Solutions like those provided by Relv have obvious shortcomings. While they can be effective for hiding a sniper position or a radio transmitter, they are less helpful for soldiers trying to evade FPV drones while on the move. Companies on both sides of the Ukraine war are working on practical applications of thermal-cloaking technology for infantry.
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Photo by VCG / Contributor via Getty Images
Brave1, a Ukrainian defense conglomerate, has been fielding a thermal-shielding cloak since 2023. The PNM-1 insulates the natural heat of a person and reduces his thermal footprint. According to a Brave1 spokesman, “The cloak’s masking properties are preserved indefinitely as long as the person in the cloak moves very slowly.” Since the cloak works by insulating body heat, excessive heat caused by rapid or prolonged movement is problematic. The cloak is mostly useful for snipers, slow-moving recon units, and soldiers manning observation posts.
The Russian Federation is also working on thermal-shielding products. HiderX, a Russian defense contractor, announced last year that its thermal-shielding suit was in use on the frontlines in Ukraine: “About 600 of our camouflage ‘invisible suits’ that blur a human silhouette are employed in the special operation area.” The Russian tech currently has the same shortcomings as the Ukrainian version. It is mostly useful for stationary of very slow-moving soldiers.
Other countries are also jumping into the thermal-shielding arms race. The Swedish company Saab AB has developed the Barracuda Camouflage System. The system, which has some thermal-shielding elements, is used on vehicles as well as personnel. It has seen some use in Ukraine starting last year, largely with donated Swedish CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles.
The American company Fibrotex USA (a subsidiary of the Israeli company Fibrotex Technologies) has been working on its Nightwalker camo system since 2016. The system includes thermal-shielding elements and has contracts with both the U.S. military and the Israeli Defense Force.
All of these thermal-shielding systems share similar shortcomings. There is currently no ideal solution for soldiers when it comes to avoiding detection — particularly from FPV drones. The prevalence of drones on the modern battlefield and their use of thermal cameras to bypass traditional camo systems mean that a country that pulls ahead in the thermal-shielding arms race would gain a significant advantage in future conflicts.
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