Researchers from China’s National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) claims it has developed a new thin, radar-defeating coating that promises to hide targets from anti-stealth radar.
The paper-thin coating, comprised of metamaterials, can absorb low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) waves from different angles, thereby outperforming existing radar-absorbing materials for stealth aircraft, which are effective for some, but not all, EM waves used by radar equipment.

According to reports, the new material can convert EM waves with wavelengths ranging from 70 cm to 20 cm into heat — a range of wavelengths that falls within common anti-stealth P-band and L-band radar systems.

Source: emperornie/Wikimedia CommonSource: emperornie/Wikimedia Common

The team explained that when low-frequency EM waves encounter the coating, they produce currents on the surface of the metal foil layer that can be converted into heat, which is then quickly dissipated into the air, thus reducing radar waves’ return signatures.

Thanks to the paper-thin design of the coating, the new technology offers ultra-wideband low-frequency stealth capabilities without the need for heavy and expensive magnetic materials.

The developers of the coating suggest that it might be suitable for possibly covering aircraft or other weapon platforms demanding stealth capabilities. The team explained that this project “does not violate the fundamental laws of physics.”

“Emerging artificial composite materials, through periodic or aperiodic arrangements, exhibit unusual properties and can achieve physical phenomena and applications that natural materials cannot,” explained the project team led by Cui Kaibo, a researcher with the State Key Laboratory of Complex Electromagnetic Environment Effects on Electronics and Information System.

The researchers’ findings were published in the journal Telecommunication Engineering.

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