US startup Vigil Autonomy has developed Air Cover, an autonomous camouflage system designed to move with military vehicles, equipment or personnel while reducing their visibility during transit.
Unlike traditional camouflage nets, which require personnel to deploy and dismantle them, Air Cover autonomously positions a low-altitude camouflage canopy above the protected asset. The company said the system is designed to conceal visual, thermal and radar signatures, making detection and identification more difficult for surveillance systems used by drones and guided weapons, including synthetic aperture radar.
Air Cover is offered in three versions: a personnel model covering 4 square meters, a unit model covering up to 9 square meters, and a larger-asset model covering up to 100 square meters.
The system supports two operating modes. Its stealth mode aims to reduce the likelihood of detection, while its decoy mode transmits a specific signature to a location away from the protected asset to mislead surveillance systems.
Vigil Autonomy said the large-asset version is designed for up to two hours of flight. However, that figure has not been independently verified, and the company’s available technical information does not currently confirm a reported maximum operating altitude of 10 meters. Independent field results on signature reduction and performance against different surveillance technologies are also not available.
Source: Defense Here
