Camouflage and deception – what’s important and what else is behind it. An interview with Florian Lenz, inventor of Phantomleaf.
Mr. Lenz, what is the key to camouflage?
Understanding the opponent. When I see through his eyes, I know what to look out for. If I don’t have the empathy to put myself in the other person’s shoes, then I can’t communicate with them. Camouflaging is nothing more than preventing communication. If I am cloaked, the other person can no longer read the signals.
And how do you implement this?
There are two possibilities: Either you try to blend in with the background so that no signal at all reaches the other person – “camouflaging”. Or you give him false information – the classic “deception”. Phantomleaf tries to combine both. The camouflage works in such a way that although you see something, you unconsciously misinterpret it and consequently look past what you have seen.
You see something, but you don’t understand it. How does that work?
People want to understand what they see with as little energy expenditure as possible and in as little time as possible. To a certain extent, this works automatically. They are guided by learned patterns, which we call “object templates”. But if you practise, you can also go beyond this and discover more in the environment without seeing an “object template”. This is why camouflage is also very much about gaining time. Isn’t it enough to adapt perfectly to the environment, i.e. to fit natural means to the camouflage suit?
Let’s take the ghillie, a camouflage suit for snipers, as an example (-> sniper trainer “Mattle” in an interview), which is equipped with what is available on site. Of course, you can achieve impressive results if you design ghillies completely in the color gradient of the environment. Everything then looks as if it has been cast from a single mold. The only problem is that just a few meters away it looks different again and the details may have changed completely. In some places, deception can work, for example if you pretend to be a pile of garbage in the city. This can also be in front of different backgrounds, which makes you “background-independent”, so to speak, which is a great advantage of deception.
“Camouflage is nothing other than the suppression of communication. If I am camouflaged, the other person can no longer read the signals.”
Phantomleaf-Erfinder Florian Lenz
Lying down, yes, but you have to be able to move when you’re on duty.
Exactly. But movement doesn’t just mean going from A to B. The concept goes much further. Let’s take a drone as an example: From each side, it sees me and my shadow against a different background. That is also a form of movement. So I am in constant motion without actively moving and without knowing it. The sentence mentioned at the beginning must therefore also be applied here: If I know from which directions the opponent will come looking for me, I have an advantage.
What are the differences between camouflage in urban and natural spaces?
Trees and shrubs make it easier to find shelter. In urban areas, you often have to deal with flat surfaces that create a very homogeneous background. Tactical movement is crucial there, i.e. whether you make clever use of border areas. https://militaeraktuell.at/175-jahre-schiess-und-versuchsplatz-felixdorf/
Where do you start when you’re just beginning to get to grips with camouflage?
You have to be able to think like the other person does. I therefore advise you to watch videos in which camouflage patterns are used and compared. You then see from the eyes of the opponent, as you see the camouflage pattern against different backgrounds.
What should you look out for?
Above all, the scientifically correct comparability of the images: Equality of, for example, camera angle, incidence of light, posture of the person.
What else can you do to further your education?
The basics of camouflage and deception, which can be found in every infantry textbook, remain very important. Beyond that: practice, practice, practice. And under realistic conditions and after a comprehensive threat analysis. In other words, ask yourself: From what distances could I be reconnoitred? Is the enemy capable of night fighting? What technical aids could he have at his disposal?
What are the future challenges in the development of camouflage patterns?
I keep saying: drones and AI (artificial intelligence). That’s the future. But both can also be fooled. That’s why the modularity of camouflage suits is so important. Ultimately, camouflage is about individuality, not uniformity.
What else is being worked on?
Suppressing the infrared signature that can be captured by thermal imaging cameras, even though the soldier is moving, is also a major issue. In addition, the fabrics should ideally dry quickly, protect against insects and also be flame-retardant.
Is it possible to develop the perfect camouflage?
Of course, there is research into active camouflage that adapts to the environment by technical means – this costs money and must also be able to survive in the field. From this perspective, the biggest challenge is to remain cost-effective.
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