Amidst the plethora of tall claims, which seem to get taller by the day, this article, focuses on how nanotechnology is impacting the air threat-air defence domain, encompassing the entire spectrum of sensors, shooters and BMC2 systems

Science and technology in the context of nanotechnology are advancing to the point where structuring matter at nanometre scale (10-9m) is becoming routine. Nanotechnology is thus predicted to produce revolutionary changes bringing far-reaching consequences in many areas. Besides multifarious fields of its exploitation, experts opine that in the field of weapons, nanotechnology may lead to a new generation of future kill options with a capability superior to deterrence of the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Implications for the Air Defence Warrior: Amidst the plethora of tall claims, which seem to get taller by the day, this article, focuses on how nanotechnology is impacting the air threat-air defence domain, encompassing the entire spectrum of sensors, shooters and BMC2 system.

Emerging impact of nanotechnologies in multiple air threat-air defence means

The Future of ISTAR Missions: Colonel Basilio Di Martino, writing for RUSI Air Power, paints a picture of the future. “The final stage will be represented by swarms of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the size of an insect, capable of a variety of intelligence surveillance target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR ) missions.” Make way, the nano air vehicles (NA Vs) are here. Gizmos, no more than 7.5 cm and weighing no more than 10 gm are not imaginations anymore. These are realities/close to realities, given the current pace of technological advances in the field. AeroVironment’s NAV named ‘Nano Hummingbird’ was one of the 50 Best Inventions of 2011, as stated by Time magazine. Employing biological mimicry at nano scale, this NAV is capable of flying like a bird with flapping wings. With a speed of 17 km/hour, a precision hover capability and payload of video camera with a downlink capable of live video streaming, Humming Bird can someday provide precision reconnaissance and surveillance capability in urban areas. ‘Black Widow’, another NAV from the same manufacturer, has an endurance of 30 minutes and a capability of colour streaming of live video.

Advantages

The obvious gains from such NA Vs in reconnaissance and surveillance domain are the capability of precision hover, a hover stability against wind gush (up to two metres/second), hover endurance of eight-ten minutes (and counting), controlled transition from outdoors to indoors with a heads-down indoor manoeuvre based on live video. It is not unlikely that development in the field of high energy materials will allow combat missions to take advantage of ‘Smart Swarms’, showing their presence and infiltration effect over a large area. When even the present day unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCA V) is becoming a tough target, defying electronic recognition due to their nonresponsive radar surfaces and small sizes (thus showing a great deal of immunity to hard kill by radar guided weapons), one can imagine the tremendous difficulty in taking on swarms of NA Vs (who knows UCA Vs in future). The only answer probably would be through deploying soft-kill options with a capability to attack the electronic/electromagnetic (EM) umbilical cord between the swarm of let-loose nano-UAVs and their controlling base stations.

Multiple Users: The use of emerging nano-materials is finding increasing use in providing added immunity (hence survivability) and effectiveness to a variety of combat aircraft. In July 2010, it was reported that a nanotechnology company is nearing completion of a nano-paint which has the capability to convert incident radar EM waves as heat waves, thus providing a degree of low-cost stealth solution to their combat fleet of aircraft. Nanotechnology is fundamentally changing the way materials and devices will be produced in the future. Significantly improved physical, chemical (and biological) properties are being realised not only by the order of magnitude size reduction (1-100 nanometres), but also due to other phenomenon, like size confinement, predominance of interfacial phenomenon, quantum mechanics, etc. Resultant materials, besides being highly light-weight, will have much higher strength and thermal stability. Obviously, these will find increasing use as structured materials for future combat aircraft.

Specific Functional Areas: A technology forecast paper, focused on 2025 scenario, identifies that nanotechnology advances in the field of aviation will embrace four basic functional areas, i.e. materials, coatings, computers and electronics. All of these could be exploited variously in enhancing survivability and effectiveness of aerial vehicles in combat. As stated, a nano-material paint that makes an aircraft incredibly difficult to detect on radar is certainly a cheap alternative to a specially designed stealth aircraft. This airspace based defence application in the nano domain aims to improve strength-to-weight ratios. For example, nanotechnology is being applied to aluminium to change phases and micro-structure in order to make it perform like titanium but without its weight. Other developments relate to high strength, corrosion resistance, high thermal reliability and highly reliable coatings which can not only sense the damage but also initiate some repair. Such coatings can also display qualities of chameleon camouflage suitable for use in ground and aerial vehicles. Several companies are developing high strength, light weight composite materials using carbon nano tubes. These high strength low weight materials are finding use in aircraft wings/body with take-away of reduced size, weight and power consumption of payloads. Nano-instrumentation is another exciting field promising smaller cockpits, thus leaving greater scope for payloads. Other nanotechnology benefits to aerospace include lighter panels, cockpit glasses, light and robust aircraft engines and components, maximising payloads and optimising fuel consumption.

The writer is the Commandant of the Army Air Defence College.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author in his personal capacity.