Saab targets sensor threat with new soldier camouflage system

Saab has introduced a new poncho designed to reduce the detectability of individual soldiers across multiple sensor environments.

The product is the latest iteration of the company’s Barracuda camouflage solutions, developed for both dismounted personnel and armoured platforms.

The Barracuda Poncho expands Saab’s existing range of advanced camouflage systems, the company said in a press release.

- Barracuda Poncho is our answer to the recent rise in UAV-based surveillance on the battlefield, where a mission can be compromised if a soldier even briefly leaves a camouflaged vehicle or position, says Henning Robach, head of Saab’s Barracuda business unit.

- Building on the positive response to our Soldier System, the new Barracuda Poncho provides an alternative camouflage solution, focusing on wearability while retaining multispectral protection, he adds.

The system is designed to reduce exposure to thermal sensors and, in its Arctic variant, ultraviolet sensors, while allowing freedom of movement for rapid and low-signature manoeuvre.

Weighing just over one kilogram, the poncho is intended to be easily deployed, worn and adjusted in the field.

It provides visual and thermal protection across a range of environments, including woodland, desert and Arctic conditions. A reversible design enables both day and night configurations, with enhanced thermal protection optimised for low-light operations.