Invisble tanks!!!

Wasnt 100% sure where to post this.. but this looks like the right spot, used the search functiona nd couldnt quite find this...

science.howstuffworks.com...

This page shows how scientists htink using Metamaterials may be able to produce an armor that is Invisible to not only Radar, but the naked eye. and casts no shadows! .

the Metamaterials are said to bend light... later in the page.. or in the next tab.. it shows a picture with the caption saying that scientists are experimenting with making a completely invisible armor ofr infantry....

Honestly guys... what do u think??

is this possible?... and how would it change war?

Please Discuss... but in a polite way.. no flaming!

Well as far as i know this is impossible!
We talk about this at sience class but the teacher told it was impossible.

Just my 2 cents.

There are already prototypes of such a system being tested. The subject was being discussed here.

Hope this helps.

Sombody once said whats impossible today will be normal tomorrow. You will still be able to locate the tanks by their sound and fumes and effects the weight has on the ground while its moving

Park it...turn of the engine...Sniper Tank!

Crossing a seemingly clear field...BOOM! Shell from nowhere.
Of course the tank would blow its cover, but the first shot's the most important.

Originally posted by Sad Lil Alex
the Metamaterials are said to bend light... later in the page.. or in the next tab.. it shows a picture with the caption saying that scientists are experimenting with making a completely invisible armor ofr infantry....

I think they already have it, these metamaterial suits. Last year there was a news release on the subject, and the scientists involved said that true visible light cloaking is at least 5-10 years away. Keep that in mind and consider the fact that military technology can be between 5-30 years ahead of what is released to the public. Also bear in mind that such a technology is likely to cause a distortion in the light path -- something like how light gets distorted over an open flame.

I think the movie Predator was released for plausible deniability. Those suits are real.

Edit: Wrong link.... doh! :bnghd:

[edit on 6-12-2007 by Beachcoma]

Not much good in the desert as they would be seen easily.Heat signature would be a major problem and so would radar x section .These few things make it less likely to be cost effective.Having said that it could well be that if you want something badly enough you will go all out to get it .

Invisible tanks? Why don't they think of something to make Dubya and Dickey invisible too?

J Leno humor:

Aired Friday night on NBC:

Military experts say that companies are now very close to developing technology that can make tanks invisible.... Invisible tanks??? Don’t we have enough defense contractors ripping off America as it is? What’s it going to be like when they start charging us for invisible tanks?

“You owe us $10 billion.”

“Where are the tanks?”

(Pointing out at empty space)“Right there.” !!!

laughlines.blogs.nytimes.com...

Cheers!

[edit on 14-12-2007 by mikesingh]

Originally posted by china12
Heat signature would be a major problem and so would radar x section.

Yes, heat might be a problem, but not radar. Check out that link I posted earlier. It cloaks for microwave. What band does radar operate on again?

Then invisible aircraft, get bombed from the sky "where’d that come from?"

Then invisible cloaked troops, invasion without even knowing we've been invaded

Invisible subs etc......

Question....does sonar still pick up an invisible tank?

parrallax errors

the major problem for any sort of ` recactive camo ` / invisibility system is its inability to resolve parralax and defeat multiple observers

see this graphic :



what does the glacis plate display ?? it cannot simeltaneously show two different back grounds

and both observers would ` expect ` to see a different view - they do not need to comunicate - one would raise the alarm - and the tank would come under attack

such a system might have limited use in certain environments - and be able to partialy replace cammo nets and scrim

but invisibility - no

reply to post by Sad Lil Alex


how good would it be in a sandstorm?
what about a rainy day?

there are so many factors that will render this useless and waste of money
unless they plan to fight on perfect days?

call the enemy and ask them to come out and play when its nice and perfet day

to counter the stealth tanks,

we'd just need paranoid soldiers with paint grenades

Originally posted by andre18

Question....does sonar still pick up an invisible tank?

Yes. The sound waves would still bounce off the tank, unless there's a way to bend those around the tank as well.

Actually, I think it is extremely plausible. Ignorant_ape's mention of a problem with multiple perspectives is misinformed. The matierial does not project a single backround image or anything like that, it bends light around itself, no matter what direction you look. And I think the material actually does bend/absorb sound waves too.
The major problem with this material would be motion. It would be just like the Predator movie, really, when the soilder or tank moves, the light moves, bends and distorts, creating some odd sort of effect that is much like moving a magnifying glass. However, when not moving, it is pretty much completely invisible.
Really, I would see the applications being more of a Spec Ops weapon. Think about it: applying all our current tactics (move when noones looking, steadied breathing, ect.) a small squad could easily insert themselves. The unsuspecting veiwers would probably just get very religious, very fast.

And you would need a HELL of a quiet engine too, you can not turn off your engine and expect to have working hydraulics to traverse your turret so you may have to remove the turret for a fixed gun...alternatively it could be electronically operated.

Or you could substitute the gun for a missile rack.

Then there is a problem too! you can not expect the bore-evac to compensate for all the smoke and a fireball coming out of the barrel from the burning powders and a gun going off will attract alot of attention too, even from 3 miles away, the maximum range for any MBT.

While it would increase survivability it would not make it the ultimate tank.

I'd love to see it though! hopefully no inocents will be run over because of it...(I know it sounds funny but it's not intended to be funny)

If you haven't already done so, you might want to check out the invisible helicopter being discussed on this thread.


www.abovetopsecret.com...

Maybe someone can figure out why there's a shadow, plain as Dallas, but looking all around shows no helicopter.

I could see this as being very useful in night operations, why fight in daylight if you can fight at night, and I'm certain you could come up with a "silencer" with rocket assisted rounds to maintain cover and concealment, if it works in the visible light spectrum I'm sure it can be used for IR as well. it may well be used for night time operations exclusively.

this recent development might be pertinent to this thread but the science is way over my head. Just wanted to post it here so better minds than mine can make better sense out of it than I ever can.

A research team at Maryland's A. James Clark School of Engineering comprised of Professor Christopher Davis, Research Scientist Igor Smolyaninov, and graduate student Yu-Ju Hung, has used plasmon technology to create the world's first invisibility cloak for visible light. The engineers have applied the same technology to build a revolutionary superlens microscope that allows scientists to see details of previously undetectable nanoscale objects.

Link

[edit on 12.27.07 by toreishi]

Its hard to believe because we a phasing tanks out so to speak for stryker and bradleys why spend millions more on a tank we will barely use anyway.

Tanks a pretty quit really unless on a road or something hard atleast the american m1 series so if you made one invisable and drove it it would be hard to here the biggest threat would be the heat signiture.