Signature management - Trends, materials and concepts 2017

Signature management requires an extensive knowledge of terrain, background, materials, structures, physics, imaging, cognition, perception and sensors, across wavelengths from ultraviolet through visible and infrared to the cm wavelengths often used for radar. This report covers a small part of the field, focusing on research trends in the materials science of camouflage, including materials for adaptive camouflage. During the past five years there has been a significant increase in the number of articles published on materials for adaptive camouflage, including adaptive infrared camouflage, adaptive visual camouflage and in some cases broadband visual+infrared. Most materials science research and development is aimed at civilian applications, which drives the development. The increasing interest in military camouflage can benefit from civilian research, for example to try to learn from camouflage mechanisms found in natural animals such as cephalopods, chameleons and beetles. It is recommended that to meet the growing need for sophisticated signature management: ? - Competence in design, simulation and evaluation of camouflages surfaces is at least maintained and preferably increased, preferably in collaboration with prioritised academic and applied research institutes nationally or internationally. ? - Systematic monitoring and evaluation of technologies for adaptive camouflage be started, and retained. ?- Previous studies of technologies for decoys and deception be re-examined and evaluated in the light of modern developments. The report contains selected references for further studies in the field.