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Ground vehicles using
Ground vehicles using stealth technology
Stealth technology, also termed low observable technology (LO technology), is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive and active electronic countermeasures, which covers a range of methods used to make personnel, aircraft, ships, subm ...
have come to fruition at various times in history.
The Swedish Stridsvagn 103
The Stridsvagn 103 (Strv 103), also known as the Alternative S and S-tank, is a Swedish post-World War II main battle tank, designed and manufactured in Sweden. "Strv" is the Swedish military abbreviation of ''stridsvagn'', Swedish for chariot an ...
was designed with a low profile to decrease chances of being detected.
The Chieftain
A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribe
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia.
Tribal societies are sometimes categori ...
SID (Signature Integration Demonstrator) was a first British effort in stealth tank technology.
The Challenger 2
The FV4034 Challenger 2 (MOD designation "CR2") is a third generation British main battle tank (MBT) in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems (now known ...
features a redesigned hull and turret offering lower radar cross section
Radar cross-section (RCS), also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected.
An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy back to the source. ...
over its predecessor. More recently, the joint U.S./British Future Scout Cavalry System concept was experimented with and appeared in prototype form before being canceled. Other vehicles, particularly unmanned ground vehicle
An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an onboard human presence. UGVs can be used for many applications where it may be inconvenient, dangerous, or impossible to have a human op ...
s, may unintentionally have an undetectably low radar signature due to their small size. Various coatings and radar absorbing layers of material are available for combat vehicles.
The Armored Gun System
The Armored Gun System (AGS) was a U.S. Army competition in the 1990s to design a light tank to replace the M551 Sheridan and TOW-equipped HMMWVs. It was the ultimate incarnation of several research programs run in the 1970s with the aim of provi ...
program of the 1980s attempted to create a stealth vehicle. One of the competitors, the Stingray light tank
The Stingray, sometimes known as the Commando Stingray, is a light tank produced by Textron Marine & Land Systems division (formerly Cadillac Gage). It was specifically designed to use as many existing components of other American armored figh ...
later became Thailand's light tank. The M1A2 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest t ...
was also originally supposed to incorporate stealth. The U.S. Future Combat Systems manned ground vehicles
The Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) was a family of lighter and more transportable ground vehicles developed by BAE Systems and General Dynamics as part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The MGV program was intended as a succes ...
family also incorporated a reduced cross section but was canceled in 2009.
GIAT
Nexter Systems (formerly known as GIAT Industries or ''Groupement des Industries de l'Armée de Terre'', Army Industries Group) is a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, based in Roanne, Loire.
Group organization
The Nexter group is ...
used an AMX-30
The AMX-30 is a main battle tank designed by Ateliers de construction d'Issy-les-Moulineaux (AMX, then GIAT) and first delivered to the French Army in August 1966. The first five tanks were issued to the 501st ''Régiment de Chars de Combat'' (T ...
to create a prototype called the Démonstrateur Furtif Chenillé (Tracked Stealthy Demonstrator). Cold air is constantly pumped between the armor and the outer non-metallic skin layer to reduce infrared signature.
Active camouflage
Active camouflage or adaptive camouflage is camouflage that adapts, often rapidly, to the surroundings of an object such as an animal or military vehicle. In theory, active camouflage could provide perfect concealment from visual detection.
Activ ...
(see Adaptiv
Adaptiv is an active camouflage technology developed by BAE Systems AB to protect military vehicles from detection by far infrared night vision devices, providing infrared stealth. It consists of an array of hexagonal Peltier plates which can be ...
) is a method of concealing ground vehicles from enemy infrared sensors. This system has been used on the Swedish CV90120-T Ghost prototype, and the Polish PL-01 derived from it.
Another way of reducing heat signature is replacing combustion engines with electric propulsion. SAIC and Lockheed Martin are developing the first U.S. electric tank prototype.
The GTK Boxer features a gap between primary and adaptive armor that reduces infrared signature.Rolf Hilmes: ''Kampfpanzer Heute und Morgen. Bautechnologie der Kampfpanzer.'' Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart, , S. 329.
References
Military technology Stealth technology {{Mil-vehicle-stub