Polish PL-01 Concept Tank Looks Like Something Out Of A Video Game

Poland is working with partners to create the tank of the future. The concept is called the PL-01 and it looks like something that you would pilot around in a futuristic version of the video game Battlefield. As you might guess from the design of the tank, it is intended to have a very low infrared, radar, and visual signature. That means that the tank has lot of angles like a Stealth fighter to reduce its radar signature.

The way the tank tries to reduce its infrared signature is by using cooled wafers on the outsides of the tank. These special wafers are designed to allow the tank to match the infrared signature of its environment to confuse the tracking systems of weapons that use infrared.

Power for the concept tank comes from a 940hp diesel engine that has a special dispersed exhaust system to further lower its infrared signature. Perhaps the most interesting function of these special wafers on the outside is that they can create what appears to be the temperature signature of something like a car or other object.

The entire idea is to confuse weapon systems and operators as to what the tank really is. Designers on the program say that future versions of the concept tank will have visual cloaking capability as well. These systems would use camera on the outside of the tank to match the image seen on one side of the tank onto the video or light receivers on the other side of the tank. This would effectively make the tank blend into the environment. Designers also used a radar absorbent coating on the tank. Other cool features are an auto loading main weapon and interchangeable turrets to let the tank be equipped for different missions. A fully working prototype is expected in 2016.

SOURCE: foxtrotalpha