Krieg im 21. Jahrhundert

[Quintus Fabius]

https://mwi.westpoint.edu/the-death-of-t...trol-base/

Über die Bedeutung der Thermalsicht, die mMn immer noch zu viele nicht in dem Ausmaß umreißen dass eigentlich notwendig wäre:

Traditional concealment depended on terrain, discipline, and camouflage. Each of these foundations is now eroded. Terrain, which once masked movement and protected bases, now often creates contrast that enhances detection. A soldier dug into the cold earth of a forest stands out not because of his shape, but because of his temperature relative to his surroundings. A triangular patrol base, with three predictable nodes of human heat, is not a clever geometric solution; it is a thermally obvious cluster recognizable from hundreds of meters. Noise and light discipline, long the bedrock of infantry professionalism, no longer compensates for thermal visibility. A silent unit still radiates: Warm weapons, the residual heat of recently fired brass, sweat evaporating off clothing, and boot prints in recently disturbed soil all glow to even modestly capable thermal devices. Visual camouflage, from face paint to ghillie suits, works primarily against the human eye rather than thermal sensors. Thin brush, nylon fabric, and wet vegetation offer little protection. In an age of omnipresent thermal surveillance, the disciplined soldier may still be tactically proficient, but no longer invisible even when attempting to employ thermal mitigating equipment.

Thermal integration across drones, vehicles, and dismounted personnel has created an environment in which forces can be detected, fixed, and targeted with unprecedented ease. Thermal-equipped drones represent the most transformative change. A quadcopter carrying an inexpensive thermal module can scan an entire company-sized area in minutes, pausing silently over the canopy while detecting heat signatures through natural gaps. Algorithms will soon assist operators by highlighting anomalous clusters of warmth while loitering munitions home in on thermal contrast autonomously. A patrol base that might once have survived by minimizing noise now faces persistent surveillance from above, regardless of the time of day.

Meanwhile, ground vehicles mount high-quality thermal sights that allow them to scan wide arcs and identify hidden dismounts, recently dug positions, or warm engine blocks even when visually obscured. When paired with accurate long-range fire systems, these sensors allow mechanized elements to dominate movement corridors at night; when employed by adversaries with peer capabilities, this represents an inversion of the historical US advantage. Even irregular fighters now carry thermal scopes and monoculars. A single individual with a handheld device can detect and compromise a squad-sized patrol base from distances that once required a reconnaissance platoon.

Signature control—whether thermal, electromagnetic, or acoustic—has become more important than classical visual stealth and the widening application of exquisite technologies enjoyed by special operations forces risks undermining the criticality of surprise. It will be true that in many environments, survival belongs not to the best camouflaged unit but to the coldest one.