The scale of UAV employment continues to grow rapidly. In 2025 alone, approximately 820,000 confirmed drone strikes against various targets were recorded, a significant proportion of which targeted military personnel. At the same time, the majority of tactical reconnaissance on the front line – up to 70-80% – is conducted by UAVs equipped with thermal imaging surveillance systems.
For this reason, the Ukrainian company STG Defence has developed an integrated suite of solutions designed to reduce the probability of detection by modern reconnaissance systems:
- Individual Camouflage Poncho – reduces the thermal signature of military personnel across the NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR spectral bands, providing protection against surveillance systems at distances from 100 metres.
- Shelter – designed to conceal firing positions, command posts, artillery systems, armoured vehicles, and aircraft. Its construction reduces the probability of detection by both thermal imaging systems and enemy radar at distances from 500 metres.
Thermal Signature Equipment Shelter field testing: interior view, exterior view, and thermal imaging observation / Photos: STG Defence
From combat experience to an international defence solution
For more than 20 years, STG Defence has been developing technologies to protect military personnel and military equipment. During this time, the company has implemented a number of projects for Ukraine’s defence sector, working closely with the Ministry of Defence and continuously refining its solutions in response to the real demands of the modern battlefield.
One of the outcomes of this work is the Thermal Signature Poncho. The product has successfully completed comprehensive laboratory and field testing, has been assigned a NATO NSN, and has been included in the technical requirements of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine as a reference standard.
The global market for such technologies remains highly limited. Multispectral camouflage solutions of this level are developed by only a few countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, and Ukraine. At the same time, Ukrainian manufacturers have a unique advantage: all solutions are continuously refined based on practical experience gained during the full-scale war, where technologies are tested daily under real combat conditions.
STG Defence products are manufactured in accordance with the company’s own technical specifications. The core material that enables signature management in its multispectral camouflage products is supplied from the United States. Subsequent manufacturing is carried out by STG Defence’s production partners at facilities across several European countries in accordance with unified technical requirements, quality control procedures, and product acceptance standards. The company maintains full control over both the production cycle and the supply chain, ensuring consistent product performance and compliance with the declared specifications.
Thermal Signature Poncho and Suit by STG Defence in Olive, Arctic, and Pixel patterns
Thermal Signature Poncho: personal protection against thermal detection
The primary purpose of modern camouflage is no longer to conceal a person from visual observation, but to reduce their thermal contrast with the surrounding environment. This is the principle behind the Thermal Signature Poncho. Its technology does not block body heat; instead, it manages the user’s thermal signature, reducing the probability of detection by infrared surveillance systems.
The product is based on silver-infused nylon. This construction simultaneously reflects infrared radiation and dissipates thermal energy. In addition, a proprietary coating technology is used to adapt the material’s characteristics to different types of terrain, including woodland, sandy, and snowy environments. As a result, the military’s thermal signature closely matches the ambient thermal background, making detection significantly more difficult.
- The poncho provides effective signature reduction across multiple infrared bands – NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR – used by most modern thermal imaging systems and aerial surveillance platforms.
- The material produces no noise during movement, which is particularly important when operating in close proximity to the enemy.
- The poncho weighs 880 grams. When folded, it occupies minimal space and can be quickly attached to military equipment.
- The material is highly durable and retains its camouflage performance after repeated washing, up to 50 wash cycles.
- The poncho is compatible with all camouflage patterns and additional surface treatments.Its protective performance remains stable for at least 4 hours of continuous use.
The Thermal Signature Poncho is primarily intended for units whose effectiveness depends on concealed movement and a minimal signature. It is used by reconnaissance units, special operations forces, sniper teams, and UAV operators, for whom even brief detection may result in mission failure or personnel casualties.
Thermal Signature Poncho field testing in Fusion mode with a DJI Mavic 3T
Comprehensive multispectral camouflage – a unified protection system from STG Defence
Another development by the company is the Thermal Signature Equipment Shelter – a multispectral concealment system designed to reduce the detectability of equipment and stationary assets. It uses the same principles of thermal signature management as individual camouflage solutions, but is adapted for larger-scale targets.
The shelter can be used to conceal armored vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, tanks, artillery systems, forward command posts, aviation assets, and other military objects. Thanks to its modular design, it can be rapidly deployed and adjusted to different equipment dimensions.
The STG Defence concept is based on the creation of a unified multi-layer camouflage system. Individual military equipment, vehicle camouflage solutions, and shelters function as complementary elements of a single integrated complex. This approach allows a reduction in the probability of detection of a unit by aerial, thermal, and multispectral reconnaissance systems – from an individual military to a fully equipped combat position or technical asset.
Thermal Signature Poncho field testing in White Hot mode at 100 m with a DJI Mavic 3T
Ukrainian technologies shaping the future of camouflage
The full-scale war has become a powerful catalyst for the development of Ukraine’s defense industry. If previously the main focus was on adapting existing technologies, today Ukrainian companies are increasingly creating their own engineering solutions, developed with consideration of real combat experience and current threats on the modern battlefield.
The developments of STG Defence demonstrate how Ukrainian technologies, created and tested under conditions of intensive combat operations, can address modern challenges not only in Ukraine but in any region where military operations involve the widespread use of unmanned aerial systems and thermal imaging technologies. Practical experience gained directly on the battlefield enables the creation of solutions oriented toward real military needs. In a war where decisions on engagement are increasingly made by algorithms, effective camouflage becomes one of the key elements of survival.
Press release