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A team of engineers from China was able to produce an iron coating that could make military aerial vessels undetectable to enemy radars, bypassing the detection system used, for example, by the Iron Dome.
This stealth coating, made from low-cost and easily preparable metallic iron, can reduce the thermal signature of an aircraft, making the aircraft less detectable by infrared (IR) sensors and heat-seeking missiles. This makes it harder for enemy systems to detect and target the aircraft based on its heat emission. Further, it can absorb and convert radar waves into heat, which diminishes the aircraft’s radar signature. When radar waves hit the aircraft, they are absorbed rather than reflected back to the radar source. This reduces the radar cross-section (RCS) of the aircraft, making it less visible to enemy radar systems. Lower radar visibility decreases the likelihood of detection and tracking by enemy radar.
The coating is made from different layers, according to SCMP. The outer layer is comprised of a mere 100 nanometers-thick pure iron film, applied using a technique called magnetron sputtering. This is a common method used to deposit thin films onto surfaces. The secondary layer is made of resin infused with carbonyl iron powder. Carbonyl iron powder is a type of material that can absorb electromagnetic energy, such as radar waves, due to its magnetic properties. Using these magnetic properties, it interacts with electromagnetic fields to reduce signal strength. This material is highly effective due to its high permeability, consistent magnetic properties across various frequencies, and strong absorption efficiency even with a thin layer. These characteristics make it ideal for applications where reducing electromagnetic visibility or interference is important, such as in stealth coatings.
During testing, the team discovered that the coating can efficiently absorb electromagnetic waves, as well as reduce the intensity of infrared signals by more than 80%. According to the study, this ability could make whatever is coated with it bypass any air defense system. This is very significant, as, for example, Israel’s Iron Dome uses the very technology it is designed to evade: a radar is used to detect aerial threats, and then missiles equipped with heat-seeking sensors are launched to destroy them.
