Russian army
Russian soldiers might be getting a serious upgrade in their camouflage soonChina Daily via REUTERS

Russia's Army expo (International military and technical forum) 2018 is now currently underway and one of the stand-out products in the exhibition is a camouflage system designed for both personnel as well as vehicles. It works by changing appearance and blending it with the background, claim its makers Rostec- a state-run defence technology company.

The "stealth camouflage", developed under instructions from the Defense Ministry of Russia, reportedly changes its patterns as well as colour based on the environment it is placed in, says a report put out by its makers. As a layer of coating, it can be used for both troop outfits and military hardware like ground vehicles and tanks.

In the release, Industrial Director of the Armament Cluster of Rostec Sergey Abramov spoke of how existing types of camouflage do not change their masking properties depending on changes in the background. He pointed out how green camouflage works well in a forest environment, but fails in sandy deserts or in bright white snow. "We are demonstrating how it works using one element of equipment, i.e., a helmet." However, its application is much broader. It can be used in clothing, weapons, and military equipment, he said.

Rostec Camo
Like a coat of paint this camo can change colour and keep people, objects and even vehicles hidden, say its makersRostec

This coating is applied to a base, much like paint, and it reportedly does not need a great level of accuracy in terms of thickness and uniformity, says Rostec. The coating comes in at about a few hundred grams per square meter, says Rostec. This means repairs, if needed, can be made, even out in the field.

As to the query about how much power will be needed to keep the systems working, the release says that power consumption, even in "continuous adaptation mode" should not be more than what will be needed to run an energy saving lamp.

Apart from military use, the company has also said that civilian clothes could make use of it in future, clothes that change colour based on the wearer's mood, for example.

The technology is to be demonstrated on Rostec's display stand at the expo and the coating has been painted over a helmet of an advanced combat outfit, reports Tass, a Russian news outlet.