Invisible Tanks by 2012?

Chock · 11-01-07, 01:42 PM

Like a lot of camouflage, I don't think they'd really hope to make it invisible, just add to reconnaissance and ranging problems, i.e. the splinter camouflage on ships is nothing to do with hoping to hide the ship, it's to make determining its length tricky for a gun layer, similarly, the false canopy painted on the bottom of Canadian F/A-18s is to confuse your enemy for a second or two in a dogfight, which might be all the time you need to set up your own shot.

Anything which makes life harder for a gunner is always a bonus. It won't stop radar and laser rangefinders, or IR sensors, but it might stop a FAC from reporting its position before someone actually gets to train a rangefinder on it.

It is another thing to go wrong, no doubt about that, but hardly critical if it does. Highlights how I feel about the Astute's electronic persicope in some ways, that's just asking to screw up, so I hope they have an optical backup system.

Chock

11-01-07, 01:42 PM	#16
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Like a lot of camouflage, I don't think they'd really hope to make it invisible, just add to reconnaissance and ranging problems, i.e. the splinter camouflage on ships is nothing to do with hoping to hide the ship, it's to make determining its length tricky for a gun layer, similarly, the false canopy painted on the bottom of Canadian F/A-18s is to confuse your enemy for a second or two in a dogfight, which might be all the time you need to set up your own shot. Anything which makes life harder for a gunner is always a bonus. It won't stop radar and laser rangefinders, or IR sensors, but it might stop a FAC from reporting its position before someone actually gets to train a rangefinder on it. It is another thing to go wrong, no doubt about that, but hardly critical if it does. Highlights how I feel about the Astute's electronic persicope in some ways, that's just asking to screw up, so I hope they have an optical backup system. Chock __________________