RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CAMOUFLAGE MATERIALS IN THE VISIBLE AND IR RANGES

Investigates the optical properties of camouflage fabrics with different patterns by analyzing reflected radiation images at various wavelengths (blue 440 nm, green 663 nm, and infrared 1100 nm). Graphs were constructed for each sample showing the percentage of reflected and absorbed energy for each wavelength. The reflection results for all fabrics were nearly identical in the blue and green ranges, indicating similar light reflection properties. However, significant differences were observed in the infrared spectrum. The "Woodland" pattern exhibited bright reflections with sharp gradients, where the light sections of the pattern had a lower reflection coefficient than the white background. This indicates active heating of the dark sections of the fabric, which re-radiates infrared radiation and may be visible to infrared detection systems. In contrast, the "MM-14" pattern demonstrated better camouflage properties due to the increased presence of light gray and light green colors, which reduce infrared reflection. Field studies showed that "Woodland" was more effective on most natural backgrounds, while the "Pixel" fabric showed high visibility against urban backgrounds such as city buildings. The results of this study could be useful for developers and manufacturers of camouflage fabrics, as well as for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, considering the importance of camouflage in the context of the ongoing military situation. Further research in this area is crucial for enhancing the camouflage properties of military uniforms.