Royal Marines might be one step away from playing quidditch as they draw inspiration from the wizard franchise to help their troops on the battlefield with ‘Harry Potter invisibility cloaks’
Royal Marines are set to use “Harry Potter invisibility cloaks” on the battlefield.
The elite soldiers have been kitted out with camouflage ponchos that stop them being spotted by heat-seeking technology.
Thermal imaging cameras can identify enemy combatants in low visibility conditions.
They have been used by drones to devastating effect in the war in Ukraine.
But the Harry Potter-style cloaks will mask Royal Marines’ body heat and protect them from weapons fitted with night vision sensors and infrared gun scopes.
Sgt Carl Smith, of X-Ray Company in 45 Commando, said the hi-tech gear allows commandos to “blend into every environment”.
He explained: “What we’ve got here is the Saab Barracuda Soldier System.
“The user wears this as a mobile thermal cloak, essentially.
“What that does is protect the user from thermal imagery, especially from small UASs [unmanned aerial systems] what we’re encountering at the minute, and that’s what we need to protect ourselves most from.
“It’s essentially a Harry Potter invisibility cloak for a Commando.”
The cloaks, developed by Swedish weapons manufacturer Saab, has two sides which blend “seamlessly” into a soldier’s surroundings day and night.
Sgt Smith said: “What is actually in the system and what it is made of are classified.
“However, what it does do is disperse thermal radiation that comes from the user, meaning he can essentially blend into any kind of environment effectively and making him almost invisible to thermal sensors.
“This is an essential piece of equipment now, especially with the threats that we are facing in the modern-day battlefield.
“It’s a bit of a game-changer in the way that it is now a protective layer that one can wear whilst transiting rather than just being static.”
Sgt Smith said the Royal Marines adopted the technology after seeing the threat posed by drones in Ukraine.
He added: “So what we are seeing in the war in Ukraine is individuals being targeted in open areas where they are not protected from thermal imagery sensors placed on one-way attack drones.
“So what this does is give us an extra layer of protection.
“If you can’t be seen, you can’t be engaged.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
#Royal #Marines #wear #Harry #Potter #invisibility #cloaks #hide #enemy
