Media: Chinese Scientists Develop New Material That Could Weaken US "Golden Dome"
According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese scientists have developed a new material that could weaken the "Golden Dome" missile defense system proposed by US President Donald Trump. This material can be used as an invisible material, effectively resisting infrared and microwave detection, and may be applicable to high-speed aircraft and missiles.
The report pointed out that modern battlefield surveillance heavily relies on infrared and microwave detection. Infrared systems detect thermal radiation emitted by objects, while microwave systems use radar to transmit and receive reflected microwave signals for target location. With the development of detection technology, stealth materials are also continuously improving. Nowadays, many materials have been designed for multispectral stealth - covering all wavelengths from visible light to microwaves. However, key military equipment usually operates in high-temperature environments. These high temperatures come from external heat sources (such as aerodynamic heating) or internal heat sources (such as exhaust nozzles), causing strong thermal radiation in the infrared spectrum. Moreover, high temperatures will reduce the stealth performance of traditional materials and even cause structural failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a material that can not only provide multispectral stealth performance but also effectively regulate heat.
The research team led by Professor Li Qiang from Zhejiang University has developed a high-performance stealth material that can achieve invisibility in short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR), and microwave bands, and can still maintain invisibility at temperatures up to 700 degrees Celsius (1292 degrees Fahrenheit).
The research results were published in the international renowned journal Nano-Micro Letters on March 24th.
On May 20th, Trump announced that the US government would build the "Golden Dome" missile defense system within the next few years - the American version of Israel's "Iron Dome". The system aims to counter ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and cruise missiles, and is reported to include space-based tracking sensors.
Defense contractor L3Harris plays a critical role in this action. The company previously collaborated with the US Missile Defense Agency to launch satellites for tracking hypersonic ballistic weapons. Ed Zoys, general manager of the Space and Airborne Systems Division of L3Harris, told the Washington Times in an interview that the company's satellite constellation uses infrared technology to track missile trajectories from space.
The report pointed out that if infrared tracking proves to be the main method of detecting and intercepting hypersonic weapons in the "Golden Dome" system, then the material developed by Professor Li's team, which combines both infrared and microwave stealth performance, could significantly reduce the likelihood of being detected.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833148221651971/
Disclaimer: The article solely represents the views of the author.