The Russian military has developed new textile materials that can make soldiers' helmets "invisible"

Stealth technology is playing an increasingly important role in improving the penetration capabilities of the modern army. Foreign stealth technology and materials research began in the Second World War, originated in Germany, developed in the United States, and extended to the developed countries such as Britain, France, Russia, etc. After more than half a century of development, the results are remarkable.

At present, while further improving the traditional stealth materials, in order to meet the higher requirements of stealth technology in the future battlefield, many countries are working on the exploration of a variety of new materials . Among them, the intelligent material and structural system is a new high-tech developed in recent years. It consists of three parts: sensor, controller and actuator. The sensor is used to sense the electromagnetic radiation image of the background environment. The controller sends out the need to execute according to the signal from the sensor. The instructions are then tuned to the background by the actuator's own image of the electromagnetic radiation.

Recently, the Russian military and Rostec jointly designed and developed a new type of textile material that can be used for the concealment of combat soldiers and military equipment. According to Chemezov, president of Rostec, the new material has a chameleon-like character that adapts to the color of the environment and changes accordingly. In the initial phase, the development of new materials will be used to meet the needs of the Russian military, while other applications will be greatly expanded in the later stages.

The design investment level of the new textile material has not yet been officially announced, but according to people familiar with the matter, it may be between $100 million and $150 million. Russia's leading electronics manufacturers and some functional textile and nonwovens producers also participated in the project.

“In recent years, Russian military and national defense demand for innovative textile materials has increased significantly, which is very important to us,” Chemezov said. He added that industrial production of new products has begun. In particular, this new material will be used to produce a special military invisible helmet designed by experts representing the Russian Military Design Agency.

In addition to being used for individual soldier equipment, the project will also be used for concealed tanks and other military equipment in combat. At the same time, Rostec scientists plan to continue to improve the performance of this new material, with the goal of extending it to a wide range of industries. New features currently under study include the ability to display dynamic changes in color intensity, as well as the simulation of complex graphical images such as the vibration of leaves in the wind.

The Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia stated that the development of new textile materials offers opportunities for the design and production of so-called smart garments. In this case, perhaps it can fundamentally change the concept of fashion design and production. Unique textile new materials, especially those that can withstand extreme temperature conditions or radiation, are especially needed in the garment manufacturing process.