Israel military's camouflage tech makes soldiers go virtually ‘invisible’

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) and an Israel-based survivability technology company Polaris Solutions have developed a new 3D camouflage technology ‘The Kit 300’ that potentially makes the soldiers invisible during covert military operations. The company was founded by two former Israeli soldiers to enhance battlefield survivability during complex warfare that lets the military troops get as close to the target as possible without detection. 

The kit can imitate any 3D object in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) to conceal the soldiers for operational effectiveness, and the information is then transmitted by sensors to the military’s tactical commander. The fabric see-through and weatherproof sensors, however, need to be concealed from the enemy but comes with a “special cover” that can reduce detectability at approximately 1m range from the enemy target, according to Polaris Solutions.

The thermal visual concealment material is designed out of metals, microfibres, and polymers that easily mold with the surrounding environment making it harder and challenging for those wearing it to be seen by both the human eye and thermal imaging equipment, company said. 

[Credit: Polaris Solutions]

An enemy staring at them [military troops] with binoculars from afar will not be able to see them, Gal Harari, the head of the detectors and imaging technology branch of the MoD's research and development unit reportedly said. 

'Fully mouldable' camouflage equipment

Tested by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the multispectral sheet that weighs up to 500 grams is “fully mouldable” and folded back into a 2D form. “It provides an advantage of surprise while degrading the ability of the enemy ambushers,” the company explained. It is printed to resemble on each side to the colouration of the specific AOR for the ease of conducting missions for the armed forces in volatile regions by quickly tailoring into the surrounding objects such as a large boulder, forests, or the muddy grounds. Interestingly, the soldiers can also hide their weapons, backpacks, and other military gears inside a panel provided with the state-of-the-art concealment kit while closing in on the target. It also comes with a Sniper cover and a special ‘Raid Camo Suit’. 

[Credit: Polaris Solutions]

“A successful military raid is all about engaging and disengaging safely in the sensor saturated environment, without being compromised,” the firm said. The lightweight modular raid suit, it added, lets the soldiers move through risky areas without being detected. This also comes in a separate “foliage” pattern and “sniper canopy” that allows the military troops to conceal themselves basis the region of the operation. This technique allows the military for “position concealment” during urban warfare or open fields where soldiers are required to do rapid position changes to attack the enemy. 

[Credit: Polaris Solutions]

Meanwhile, a tactical helmet gives a head silhouette to escape situations that are life-threatening such as a bullet, and the counter-tracking shoes in the kit leave as minimal tracks as possible behind in the enemy territory. This also makes it hard for the soldiers to be tracked as it does not create the impressions normally left by the military boots. Soldiers also tested a ‘Rajuka’ mask which appears like a balaclava and an ultralight poncho to go undetected during extreme activities which can be used by both military and police officers for maneuverability and comfort during the operations. 

The idea of the equipment was first pondered during the 2006 Second Lebanon War by special IDF unit soldier and Polaris Solutions co-founder Asaf Picciotto who recognized firsthand that the soldiers on the ground required better protection from enemies. The firm headquartered in the Israeli port city of Caesarea has now registered for a patent on the equipment in many countries around the world. The equipment was created with the expertise of several former IDF soldiers with special forces training.