Army tests James Bond style tank that is 'invisible'

**WhiteFeather** · November 2nd, 2007, 06:34 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1811

Army tests James Bond style tank that is 'invisible'
Last updated at 11:56am on 30th October 2007

New technology that can make tanks invisible has been unveiled by the Ministry of Defence.

In secret trials last week, the Army said it had made a vehicle completely disappear and predicted that an invisible tank would be ready for service by 2012.
The new technology uses cameras and projectors to beam images of the surrounding landscape onto a tank.

The result is that anyone looking in the direction of the vehicle only sees what is beyond it and not the tank itself.

A soldier, who was at the trials, said: "This technology is incredible. If I hadn't been present I wouldn't have believed it. I looked across the fields and just saw grass and trees - but in reality I was staring down the barrel of a tank gun."

How the technology works in a combat situation is very sensitive, but the MoD is believed to be testing a military jacket that works on the same principles.

It is the type of innovation normally associated with James Bond, and the brains behind the latest technology is the MoD's very own "Q" - Professor Sir John Pendry, of Imperial College London.

He said the only drawback was the reliability of the cameras and projectors.

But he added: "The next stage is to make the tank invisible without them - which is intricate and complicated, but possible."

**ca2pa** · November 2nd, 2007, 08:00 PM

Well if they can do that with a tank, they can do that with....well....anything really, right? i wonder if i can get a suit for my girlfriend, so that when she pisses me off, i can simply make her INVISIBLE....

**BradC** · November 2nd, 2007, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by ca2pa

Well if they can do that with a tank, they can do that with....well....anything really, right? i wonder if i can get a suit for my girlfriend, so that when she pisses me off, i can simply make her INVISIBLE....

Good idea, but invisible does not equal quiet!!

**LastManOut** · November 3rd, 2007, 08:27 AM

Why don't they just get a Klingon cloaking device?

**soberbyker** · November 3rd, 2007, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by ca2pa

Well if they can do that with a tank, they can do that with....well....anything really, right? i wonder if i can get a suit for my girlfriend, so that when she pisses me off, i can simply make her INVISIBLE....

now that right there is funny, I don't care who ya are - points for the laugh

**RocketFoot** · November 3rd, 2007, 09:49 AM

Interesting...Just like Bond's V12 Vanquish! I love it. Probably not combat practical because of sensitive equipment used to make it work! But cool none the less!

**Gorgon** · November 3rd, 2007, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by LastManOut

Why don't they just get a Klingon cloaking device?

Romulan cloak was much better.

Just look at the Defiant...

I wouldn't think that this would necessarily need to work during combat as much as it needs to work long enough for the surprise attack. Good stuff.