With this invention, a 45 meter-long patrol board appears on the screen as if it were an inoffensive launch.
The origin of this Spanish technology stems from a metallic material the size of a hair. Combined with a series of chemical elements, it exhibits the property of absorbing electromagnetic waves. This system can make very large metallic objects invisible to radar, such as warships.
The idea came about in the year 2000, based on a theory from Spanish researchers and the company Micromag, which studies magnetic materials.
They began to make kilometers of metallic fiber, mixed it with a compound and later tested concealing it by applying paints and silicones. The result is an element that is invisible to the human eye. This technology, which makes ships invisible to radar, was tested in 2009 with a 45 meter-long patrol boat that had 35 people aboard. They mixed the metallic fibers with the compound and paint, and began to cover the ship with brushstrokes. The patrol ship appeared on the radar screen as if it were an inoffensive launch.
With the proven success of the invention and through the help of the Spanish army, Micromag has had access to a NATO meeting in Washington. There it was able to show 22 countries the quality of its technology. Today the company is also present in other European countries, to the point where it generates almost half of its revenues outside of Spain.
The firm maintains that its technology can be applied to other markets besides military use. Currently it is implementing its know-how in premises that want to be insulated from mobile telephone waves, such as nuclear plants. It has also found a niche in the market for wind turbines, that tend to be located outside of air traffic space because they interfere with navigation equipment: “Now it may be possible to locate them anywhere without endangering air traffic”, say those responsible for the project.
Cotizalia