This Swedish Camouflage is Making Ukrainian Vehicles Nearly Invisible

Summary

This video highlights how Ukrainian forces are utilizing Swedish military technology, particularly the CV90 armored personnel carrier and the Barracuda mobile camouflage system, to gain an edge on the battlefield. The Barracuda camo, developed by Saab, offers cutting-edge features like reduced visibility to thermal cameras, radar, and infrared sensors, making Ukrainian vehicles nearly invisible. The system also lowers fuel consumption and allows communication devices to function seamlessly. As a tech expert and veteran, the presenter emphasizes the significant technological advantage this gives Ukraine against Russian forces. Slava Ukraini!

Takeaways

• 🟢 Sweden's Barracuda camouflage system is making Ukrainian vehicles nearly invisible, providing an edge on the battlefield.
• 🚜 The Swedish CV90 armored personnel carrier, used by Ukraine, is highly survivable and withstands direct hits from drones and shells.
• 🎯 Barracuda camo is a high-tech fabric developed by Saab, offering protection from visual, infrared, and radar detection.
• ❄️ The camouflage has special ultraviolet reflectance properties for Arctic environments, blending vehicles with their surroundings.
• 🌡️ Barracuda reduces thermal infrared signatures, making it harder to detect by night vision and thermal cameras.
• 🛰️ The fabric also protects vehicles from synthetic aperture radar and fire-control radars, making it nearly invisible to radar systems.
• 🎧 The camouflage allows radio and GPS signals to pass through while protecting against higher electromagnetic frequencies.
• 🔥 The CV90, combined with Barracuda, is 70% less visible on thermal cameras, lowering heat signature and improving stealth.
• 🌪️ The fabric helps reduce internal vehicle temperature and fuel consumption, as well as dust cloud formation.
• 🛡️ Beyond vehicles, Barracuda can be used to camouflage infantry positions, air defenses, and command centers, with potential maritime applications.

Q & A

What is Barracuda camo, and why is it important for Ukraine's military vehicles?

Barracuda camo is a proprietary camouflage textile made by Saab, used to conceal military vehicles. It's important because it reduces visibility across several detection methods, including infrared, thermal, and radar, making Ukrainian vehicles less detectable by Russian forces.

How does the Barracuda camouflage system protect against infrared and thermal detection?

Barracuda's material interacts with its surroundings through convection, reflection, radiation, and insulation, which helps it blend into the environment and significantly reduces the vehicle's heat signature. It also provides protection against near-infrared and shortwave infrared, making detection by night vision difficult.

What are the specific benefits of the Barracuda camo when used on the Swedish CV90 armored vehicle in Ukraine?

When used on the CV90, the Barracuda camo reduces the vehicle's thermal visibility by 70%, making it appear as a gray, padded cold object on thermal cameras. Additionally, it lowers the vehicle's internal temperature, decreases dust clouds, and reduces fuel consumption and maintenance needs.

What historical developments in camouflage led to the modern technologies like Barracuda?

Camouflage evolved with the advancement of long-range rifles and became widely adopted during the early 20th century, thanks to naturalist studies like those of Abbott Faer. Modern camouflage systems, such as Barracuda, build on these early concepts by incorporating infrared, radar, and thermal concealment.

How does the Barracuda camo help reduce the energy consumption of military vehicles?

By lowering the internal temperature of the vehicle, Barracuda camo reduces the need for energy to cool the vehicle, thus minimizing overall fuel consumption during operations.

What additional advantages does Barracuda provide aside from its camouflage capabilities?

Barracuda camo prevents dust clouds from forming as vehicles move, reducing wear on vehicle filters and engines. It also allows radio frequencies and GPS signals to pass through, enabling communication while still protecting against higher-frequency radar detection.

What makes the CV90 armored vehicle so effective in Ukraine’s battlefield, according to Ukrainian soldiers?

Ukrainian soldiers praise the CV90 for its durability, withstanding direct hits from drones and shells. They also appreciate its maneuverability, comfort, and features like air conditioning and radio communication, which enhance its operational effectiveness.

How is Barracuda camo adapted for different environments and types of vehicles?

Barracuda camo is designed with high ultraviolet reflectance for cold environments, and it can be adapted for use on ground vehicles, dismounted infantry positions, air defense systems, and even maritime applications, making it versatile for different battlefield conditions.

What impact does Barracuda camo have on Russian soldiers' ability to detect Ukrainian vehicles?

Barracuda camo forces Russian soldiers to get much closer to Ukrainian vehicles before they can detect them, which increases the risk for Russian units. This delayed detection gives the Ukrainian forces a tactical advantage.

Why is the use of Barracuda camo on uncrewed surface drones a potential game-changer for Ukraine?

If used on Ukraine's growing fleet of uncrewed surface drones, Barracuda camo could make these drones much harder to detect, further expanding Ukraine's stealth capabilities and improving their operational success against Russian targets.