A perfect match for full protection
The better concealed that deployed troops are, the more likely they are to survive and complete their objectives. That’s why some of the world’s top military minds recommend using multispectral camouflage solutions across each part of a mission – from mobile camouflage through to static nets.
Imagine stepping out into a cold winter’s day with a warm jacket on the top half of your body and thin shorts and bare feet on the bottom half. While your jacket does a great job of protecting you, your choice of pants and footwear leave you uncomfortable – and exposed.
"There are big advantages for allies to use the same type of camouflage"
Unfortunately, major armed forces sometimes make a similar error of judgement when choosing static and mobile camouflage solutions for deployed troops. They invest in a multispectral camouflage system capable of defeating of modern sensors for some uses cases – perhaps for tanks and armoured vehicles – but then choose a lesser or incompatible solution for other areas of a mission. The result is an inconsistent level of camouflage that leaves troops fully concealed at times but then alarmingly exposed at others.
As Warrant Officer Flemming Ahrenkiel from Denmark's Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) puts it, “A poor-quality camouflage system may not provide adequate thermal protection, leaving vehicles and equipment vulnerable to detection by thermal imaging and heat-seeking technology. When heat emissions are not properly masked, enemy forces can easily identify targets, compromising the safety of personnel and the success of missions. Similarly, inferior visual concealment fails to blend effectively with the surrounding environment, making military assets more visible to the naked eye or optical devices.”
What’s needed for mission success is consistent sensor protection across the full course of a soldier’s daily duties. That means both when they’re on the move and getting ready to engage the enemy and later when they’re regrouping and resting.
So, how can complete coverage be achieved? Why is effective camouflage now more important than ever? And what are the risks of mixing and matching camouflage solutions?
Stay concealed and survive
As recent conflicts have demonstrated, sensor technology is developing at an extraordinary rate. Commercialisation of the space domain means that a growing number of satellite companies are offering affordable, multispectral images of every square metre of the planet in close to real time. At the same time, an explosion in drone technology means that all armed forces now have access to affordable flying sensors that can also easily be weaponised. To survive in such environments, deployed troops need camouflage that can conceal both when they are on the move in their vehicles and when they are stationary.
Saab’s Barracuda camouflage arm has long understood this need. Our Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Screen (ULCAS) static nets are designed to conceal stationery assets including shelters, tents, containers and parked vehicles. They provide protection against ultraviolet, visual, near infrared, short-wave infrared, thermal infrared and radar sensors. Our Mobile Camouflage System (MCS), meanwhile, provides the same high-quality multispectral protection to military platforms on the move, from tanks and armoured fighting vehicles to armoured personnel carriers and light vehicles.
Individually, Barracuda systems deliver outstanding results. But it’s when they’re used together that the greatest protection and best outcomes are achieved.
One example is using ULCAS nets to conceal fighting vehicles that have recently been in action and are therefore giving off distinct heat signatures. For logistical reasons, the tracks of vehicles like tanks and armoured personnel carriers are not covered by the MCS solutions, meaning that after a long day of driving their heat signatures may be visible to enemy sensors. Hot guns, which have recently been firing on the enemy, can also give off a distinctive thermal signature that can be hard to mask. By parking fighting vehicles under Barracuda static nets between engagements, these hot parts can be concealed from the enemy, boosting survivability and the crew’s chances of achieving their missions.
Proven results with Danish Army
The Danish Army frequently uses Barracuda static and MCS systems in combination, and Warrant Officer Ahrenkiel from the Army’s procurement wing DALO says this produces outstanding results.
“Together, the two systems offer a dual-layered defence: the mobile system provides continuous protection during movement, while the static nets offer additional cover when parked or during extended operations. This combination maximizes the camouflage effect, making it more difficult for the enemy to detect and target military assets.”
Another key advantage to combining different Barracuda systems across the mission is compatibility. When different types of camouflage system are mixed, their approaches to concealment may be at odds with each other, greatly increasing the likelihood of detection. For example, while Barracuda multispectral solutions work by enabling deployed assets to mimic and blend into the background, other manufacturers take a cruder approach. Their systems are designed to simply reflect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by radar systems to stop the enemy from seeing what lies underneath. These systems show up clearly on radar scopes, alerting the enemy that something is being hidden and potentially inviting a strike by enemy forces. When compatible Barracuda systems are used together instead, the chances of remaining concealed in increased.
Even more problematic is when armed forces use branches and other vegetation as a form of static camouflage. While such an approach allows equipment to blend into the background and defeat some sensors for a few hours, it offers no protection against radar and quickly fails.
Experience with Swedish battalion
The Swedish Army’s 181st Mechanised Battalion knows just how well Barracuda’s static and mobile systems work together. The unit has made use of Barracuda static tactical nets since it was formed in 2016. Since 2022, it has complemented these with the Barracuda’s Mobile Camouflage System on combat vehicles.
Major Håkan Darvall from the 181st says, “As the conflict in Ukraine has shown, the ability to avoid detection is crucial to stay alive on the modern battlefield. It’s beneficial to use the same kind of camouflage on all vehicles and stationery objects in a unit to help to create a blend-in effect with the surrounding terrain, especially from the air. With parts of the 181st employing MCS, the unit saw an enhanced ability to avoid enemy detection both from other land units and from the air.”
When allies working together use compatible, high-quality multispectral camouflage solutions, they present a united front to enemy sensors. There is far less chance for one ally’s camouflage solution will alert the enemy to their presence and jeopardise the mission.
As DALO Warrant Officer Ahrenkiel says, “Camouflage works as an integrated defence system, where each part contributes to overall concealment. When one part is not properly camouflaged, it can attract attention, leading to further scrutiny and increasing the risk of the entire force being detected. This is especially critical in high-stakes environments, where detection can lead to enemy attacks, ambushes, or airstrikes. Ensuring that all units employ effective camouflage minimizes these risks and enhances operational security.”
Sweden’s Major Darvall says there are other benefits, too. “There are big advantages for allies to use the same type of camouflage,” he says. “For example, the logistic chain can be shared, which cuts both time and costs. It also gives multinational forces an understanding for each other’s capabilities.”
Camouflage systems
Barracuda MCS
Modern military vehicles must have low signature and adaptable to beat neutralise threats. We developed our Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) to do that.
Barracuda ULCAS
When you need multispectral camouflage that is scalable to a wide range of deployed assets, look no further, our Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage Screen (ULCAS) is the answer.