Tag Archives: SAAB Barracuda

Leopards in the Mist

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No, it is not early morning on the Savannah, but “Danske Leoparder et Letland,” i.e., Royal Danish Army KMW Rheinmetall Leopard 2A7DKs of I Panserbataljon, Jydske Dragonregiment (I/JDR) in Latvia on a NATO deployment getting a live fire ex underway recently.

And that Rh-120 L/55 A1 120mm main gun does growl.

Also note the SAAB Barracuda anti-IR camo system installed.

A closer look:

Of note, the “Blue Dragoons” of I/JDR, Denmark’s sole tank unit and home to 44 Leopard 2s, has a long and storied history going back to 1657, but held on to their horses until 1932. They have been operating successive versions of the Kampfpanzer Leopard since the 1970s.

They are somewhat famous in modern times for the “Mouse Ate the Cat” engagement in Bosnia in 1994, where they just went ham on some particularly dreaded and troublesome Serb positions and bagged at least one T-55 in the process.

They have also completed deployments to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq in modern times, and have a reputation for being eager to let their tracks (and guns) run free when needed.

Black beret clad in British Armored Corps fashion, their motto is Virtute Vincitur (“He is overcome by strength”).

NATO looking into the camouflage of the future

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An international team of scientists from NATO member and partner countries met in rural Germany to carry out field trials on a variety of camouflage materials. The ultimate goal for the future, is creating camouflage systems able to elude hyperspectral cameras.

The above makes me think about the increased use in NATO of SAAB’s Barracuda system, which helps mitigate a post or vehicle’s infrared, thermal and radar signature.

 

More Barracudas systems across Scandinavia

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Norway and Denmark have contracted Saab to provide both governments with more Barracuda static and mobile camouflage systems. After all, if you have limited numbers of vital military assets, the best way to avoid having them whacked by an aggressor is to hide them as much as possible. The Danes have used Barracuda for years but it will be a new acquisition for Norway, bringing to 60 the number of countries that use these.

Barracuda isn’t your grandpa’s camo net, as besides visual camouflage they offer to mitigate a post or vehicles near infrared, thermal and radar signature.