Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur(DLJ), DRDO handed over Camouflage Pattern Generation Software Sigma 4.0 (CPGSS4.0) and a full-scale Multispectral Signature Tank Mock-up to CME, Pune (Picture credit: DRDO)

NEW DELHI: According to Sun Tzu's ‘The Art of War’, “all warfare is based on deception.”In the wake of the Pakistan conflict in May when the enemy forces attempted to target Indian military assets like air defence systems, including Russia-imported S400 Triumf missile system, with their missiles and drones, India’s elite R&D wing Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has transferred two key indigenous technologies to the Army that will help its soldiers and their military equipment evade enemy detection.Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (DLJ), DRDO, handed over Camouflage Pattern Generation Software Sigma 4.0 (CPGSS4.0) and a full-scale Multispectral Signature Tank Mock-up to the Indian Army’s Corps of Military Engineering (CME) in Pune in the first week of December. “CPGSS4.0 was launched today (Dec 3) by Lt Gen A K Ramesh, SM, Comdt CME in the presence of V S Shenoi, Director, DLJ and will be available for use by tri-services,” DRDO recently posted on X. “A full scale multispectral signature tank mock-up will be use (sic) for training the service personnel in camouflaging and deception technology,” it stated.CPGS 4.0 is an advanced software developed to create highly effective, multi-spectral camouflage patterns for military equipment, helping soldiers blend into diverse terrains by countering detection across visible light, infrared (IR), and radar sensors, thereby significantly boosting battlefield deception and survival training for the Indian Army.

Whereas a multispectral signature tank mock-up is a full-scale, realistic decoy of a battle tank, designed not just to look like a tank in visible light, but to mimic its physical and electromagnetic properties (heat, radar reflection) across various sensor spectrums, allowing soldiers to test and train with advanced camouflage materials to hide tanks from modern threats like thermal, infrared and radar detection.Developing multispectral deception capabilities is the need of the hour as traditional camouflage measures have become less effective in modern warfare. These advanced systems are designed to enhance the Army’s capabilities in camouflage and deception, which are key for survival on modern battlefields where surveillance and sensor technologies are fast advancing.The integration of sophisticated software with a realistic mock-up helps tackle challenges posed by modern detection systems, including thermal imaging, UAV reconnaissance and radar technologies. With the introduction of these technologies, the Army now has the capacity to indulge in concealment methods more effectively, thereby enhancing operational survivability.