Protection is crucial on the modern battlefield. That is why the Austrian Armed Forces relies on Saab’s Barracuda camouflage system for its Ulan, Leopard and Pandur vehicles.
Barracudas are predatory saltwater fish that occur in huge shoals, especially when they are young. With their sharp fangs, which are located in deep tooth compartments, they occasionally even attack humans. However, as extremely successful hunters, they generally require neither camouflage nor protected retreats for their attacks.
The Barracuda system from the Swedish armaments company SaabInstead of attacking, it is designed to conceal vehicles on the battlefield, as Colonel Michael Lex, commander of Armored Infantry Battalion 35, explains in an interview with Militär Aktuell.
“The system works like a camouflage suit. The individual modules are attached to our Ulan infantry fighting vehicle using industrial Velcro surfaces,” says Lex. There, the “camouflage cap”, known as the Mobile Camouflage System (MCS), primarily reduces the heat signature, but also the possibilities for electromagnetic reconnaissance: from ultraviolet and visible ranges to near-infrared, short-wave infrared rays, thermal infrared and radar.
According to Saab, signatures can ideally be significantly reduced across the entire spectrum. Positive side effects include improved thermal management in the vehicle, which significantly reduces energy consumption for cooling, for example.
For Lex, the decisive factor is: “Effective protection is only possible by combining modern means with traditional camouflage methods such as turf bricks, branches, twigs and camouflage nets. In view of increasingly powerful sensors and reconnaissance equipment, all options must be used to remain undetected for as long as possible or to completely conceal vehicles from the enemy.”
Because, as Lex continues: “If you can’t be seen, you can’t be fought. Even if you ‘only’ manage to get a few hundred meters closer to the enemy or remain hidden for longer thanks to camouflage, this can give you a decisive advantage in battle, which can determine the success or failure of a mission.”
“Forcing multiple dilemmas on the enemy is the goal,” says Niklas Ålund, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Saab’s Barracuda division. “Own actions must be hidden and unclear, while false maneuvers and decoys lead the opponent to make wrong decisions in order to keep the initiative.” Postscript: “Effective camouflage enhances deception, increases combat success and minimizes the risk of detection even at long distances.”
The system was first introduced into the army in small numbers at the end of the 2000s. Now, a newer version of the Ulan infantry fighting vehicles in the two armored infantry battalions 13 and 35, as well as the Leopard main battle tanks and the Pandur Evolution armored personnel carriers, are moving towards full equipment.
According to Lex, the Barracuda modules can be fitted to prepared vehicles within three hours. In most cases, they then remain directly on the vehicle for weeks and months, only being removed for maintenance work.
“Despite all the technical possibilities, camouflage is only as good as its implementation. Even a small mistake can give away the position – and then it often only takes minutes for the enemy to strike.”
Oberst Michael Lex, Kommandant des Panzergrenadierbataillons 35
“The war in Ukraine (-> current news from the war in Ukraine) shows the need for good camouflage,” says the commander of Panzergrenadier Battalion 35. “Troops directly at the front up to several kilometers into the hinterland can be tracked down at any time and thus also attacked – unless appropriate countermeasures are taken. And good camouflage is simply part of that.”
In addition to the MCS, the Swedish armaments company also offers ponchos weighing around one kilogram for individual soldiers and larger camouflage nets (Ultra-Lightweight Camouflage System, ULCAS) as part of its “Barracuda family”, under which vehicles and soldiers can be concealed, shelters and supply points can be secured. The latest version of the ULCAS, which is currently being tested by several customers, is printed with a frequency-selective material that acts as a low-pass filter. This allows low frequencies such as radio frequencies to pass through and filters out high (radar) frequencies.
The Austrian Armed Forces combine elements of ULCAS and MCS in their command vehicles. “The package includes command tent equipment, which is attached directly to the vehicle and provides the crew with additional space for command equipment during combat breaks,” explains Colonel Lex. However, the correct application remains crucial: “Despite all the technical possibilities, camouflage is only as good as its implementation. Even a small mistake can give away the position – and then it often only takes minutes for the enemy to strike.”
Here for more army news and here to further Saab contributions.
