The Sea Wraith Corvette is a stealth warship that obscures its visbility and radar signature with a continuous spray of water. I was thinking this concept could be used to protect desert convoys by creating an artificial sandstorm. When the shit hits the fan, kick up the sand and put the pedal to the metal.
-- 21 Quest, Dec 24 2007

Sand wraith - preheated, at least in name, by this author http://www.sjgames....imarySources28.html
[normzone, Dec 29 2007]

The idea of using water to shield from radar is very slick, [21]. It would work. Also very low tech - you could generate the screen with your own ship's motor. It is the sort of trick that might work once to fool satellites as well.
-- bungston, Dec 24 2007


The above was because I thought you invented the idea of using water to shield from radar. It is still slick. It could work for sand but I am not sure if radar is as important for locating land vehicles as it is in the air or on the sea.
-- bungston, Dec 24 2007


The sand wasn't intended to shield from radar, just visibility so ambushers can't take aim at the vehicles. Although.... would the sand really block radar? If so, this could have the added benefit of fouling up guided munitions.
-- 21 Quest, Dec 24 2007


// would the sand really block radar //

No, it would be transparent to most commonly employed microwave frequencies, and a swath of infra-red too .... and visually, you'd see it coming for miles.

In WW2, air strike groups (allied and axis) could spot combat groups beyond the horizon ( in the right lighting conditions) by their dust plumes.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 24 2007


Well yeah, you'd see the dust cloud. But you can't aim at vehicles' weak spots or individual troopers very well.
-- 21 Quest, Dec 24 2007


Would it be possible to have some kind of artificial sand that does block the radar, microwave, infra-red etc.?

Perhaps not useful in the same way, but good for vanishing in a puff of sand - basically a glorified smoke grenade.
-- dbmag9, Dec 25 2007


// you can't aim at vehicles' weak spots or individual troopers very well //

...... unless you're the USAF, and you're aiming at your allies .....
-- 8th of 7, Dec 25 2007


//But you can't aim at vehicles' weak spots or individual troopers very well.//
Isn't it a Good Thing that fuel-air bombs work over large areas?
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Dec 25 2007


'Tis, if you have one handy.
-- david_scothern, Dec 25 2007


Not exactly a common weapon for desert ambushes, now is it?
-- 21 Quest, Dec 25 2007


When I did the search to see if water-based radar deflection was baked, I encountered a patent for a smoke bomb which generates smoke (metal doped smoke?) that scatters radar. There's your glorified smoke grenade. I hope I don't breathe any of that metal-doped smoke.
-- bungston, Dec 26 2007


We hope you do ...
-- 8th of 7, Dec 26 2007



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