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Defence Industry and Space
News article2 February 2022

EU-funded collaborative defence research project develops high-tech soldier camouflage system – ACAMSII

ACAMSII_Visuale

On 27 January, the final workshop and demonstration of the ACAMSII Project (Adaptive CAMouflage for the Soldier II) took place at Safran campus outside Paris. The event showcased the prototype of the defence technology to stakeholders that have collaborated in this EU-funded project for 43 months.

Commenting on the outcome of the project,

DG ‘Defence Industry and Space’ of the European Commission stated:

 “A soldier in operation, lying on the ground and observing the enemy cannot afford to be located. What if his gear contains hundreds of software-controlled micro-LED replicating the light and background of one’s position? What if its fabric contain a radar-absorbing layer making one invisible on the radar screen and infrared sensors? Increasing protection against detection of our soldiers is what the project ACAMSll is supporting thanks to EU funding from the Preparatory Action on Defence Research, a precursor programme of the European Defence Fund.”

The Consortia stated:

“By bringing together experts on materials science, electronics, systems integration, industrial production, measurement technology and military applications from six European nations, we have developed an adaptive, multi-spectral camouflage demonstrator. Today we are proud to be able to show the results to DG DEFIS, EDA and representatives from the Armed Forces of the participating nations.”

 

One of the very first collaborative EU defence projects

ACAMSII was selected for funding under the European Commission’s very first Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) calls for proposals back in 2017 to develop a  technology in the context of “Force Protection and Soldier Systems”. This specific project was awarded a grant of €2.6 million for conceptualisation, to prototype and testing. The project was implemented by the European Defence Agency on behalf of the European Commission.

 

A Project driven by technological innovation

The project has achieved its objective of creating an adaptive soldier camouflage system that increases protection against detection thanks to a high degree of technological innovation. The textile fabric of the camouflage system integrates several complex technologies including Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Thermochromic pigments (TC), Radar Absorbing Layers (RAL) and Phase Change Materials (PCM). Such adaptive materials can avoid detection by sensors in different parts of the spectrum (e.g. in the visible, infrared or microwave range) and as a result increases survival chances of soldiers.

Beyond ensuring a technical efficacy, the product is designed to increase soldier comfort, ergonomics and interoperability in order to be most performative in operational scenarios. To validate the military utility of the product and usability of the system, testing in several environments has taken place.

ACAMS_WorkSHOpSAFRAN
ACAMSII Workshop Demonstration - 27 Jan. 2022

A European collaborative project

The ACAMSII consortium encompasses 7 participants coming from 6 different countries (Sweden, Portugal, France, Germany, Lithuania, and The Netherlands) representing a variety of entities: research and technology organizations, academic institutions, SMEs and prime companies.

The project illustrates the cross-border and cross-sectoral nature of EU defence initiatives, geared towards strengthening the European Technological and Industrial Base.

The ACAMSII project will officially close on 28 February 2022.

ACAMS_participants1

?: ©ACAMSII

For more information and technical specifications on the project visit/download:
1 FEBRUARY 2022
ACAMSII_Flyer_Information
English
(2.05 MB - PDF)
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Details

Publication date
2 February 2022