Stealth Tank-The Next Generation Of Military Vehicles
Recent technological advances could lead to a new type of battlefield capability: stealth tanks. While the concept is not yet fully understood, it may hold significant implications for future operating concepts and strategic decision-making.
Essentially, stealth is a collection of technologies designed to reduce an object's observable signature - radar, electromagnetic, visual, or heat - by changing its shape and/or reducing its directional output. By minimizing a surface's visibility to detection systems, stealth provides a significant tactical advantage.
There are many stealth technologies in development. Some have been already implemented to accomplish this goal. For example, the F-35 fighter jet reduces its observable profile by minimizing its radar cross section. It uses active infrared concealment technology to make it look more like an aircraft than a solid object on radar screens.
These technologies have multiple potential uses to reduce the observable signature of tanks and could have huge operational and strategic implications for long-range battles, where less targets can mean greater survivability.
Poland's PL-01 was the first stealth tank. It was designed in 2013. It was designed to be a very lightweight tank that weighed in at just a few hundreds of pounds. The radar cross section of the tank was lower than that of current MBTs. This would make it more difficult to detect with infrared sensors and anti-tank missiles which are IR-guided.
There were many other features on the PL-01 that are common to MBTs. But its key feature was its ability camouflage. Instead of a traditional paint job, it used temperature-controlled wafers that covered the exterior surfaces of the hull and turret. To alter the appearance of the wafers and to mask the IR radiation from an enemy's IR sensor, they were heated.
Thermal camouflage technology is another form of stealth that tanks can use. It's similar to the one used on aircraft. The shell of the PL-01 was constructed from a modular ceramic aramid material. This allows for resistance to conventional armored piercing round, and can be adapted to suit different terrains.
Active repositioning armor is another method of stealth for tanks. This means that armor plates would reorient themselves to avoid threats from an enemy weapon. While this type of stealth system has been in use for years, it is still experimental.
This is the first significant step towards creating a stealth tank. This is a very early stage and there are still many technology improvements that need to happen before a stealth vehicle becomes a reality.
The US has many ideas about how to build a stealthy-tank. The Pentagon also has suggestions for a way to use the chassis's own power to avoid detecting other vehicles, so that it can move through crowds of vehicles more easily. It is an innovative idea that may prove to be the best and most efficient way to build a tank that can travel over bridges or other barriers.