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Наталя ХандусенкоWeapon
25 May 2026, 16:30
2026-05-25
Stealth spray for UAVs: researcher creates liquid coating based on volcanic rock that makes drones more invisible to radar
Turkey has developed a “stealth spray” for drones. This is a special radio-absorbing coating that can be simply sprayed onto small UAVs to hide them from radar. Developer Yunus Ince and his small laboratory have been creating this material (the project name is Kürşat 3.0) for over 7 years. The inventor has already shown journalists a video from the tests: the spray jams the radar signal by a record 43 dB — this is a higher figure compared to similar broadband coatings that scientists have previously tested.
Turkey has developed a “stealth spray” for drones. This is a special radio-absorbing coating that can be simply sprayed onto small UAVs to hide them from radar. Developer Yunus Ince and his small laboratory have been creating this material (the project name is Kürşat 3.0) for over 7 years. The inventor has already shown journalists a video from the tests: the spray jams the radar signal by a record 43 dB — this is a higher figure compared to similar broadband coatings that scientists have previously tested.
Traditional stealth technologies use a combination of deflection and absorption of radio waves to reduce an object's radar signature. That's why the F-117 Nighthawk, the first full-fledged production stealth aircraft, had a lot of awkward, angular surfaces instead of the smooth, streamlined shapes of fighter jets, writes Tom's Hardware.
Advances in computer technology have allowed engineers to combine aerodynamics and radar deflection, resulting in modern stealth aircraft such as the B-21 Raider and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter having much smoother contours than the F-117. Deflection provides much of the stealth characteristics of the aircraft, while radio-absorbing material (RAM) converts the radio waves that fail to bounce back to the receiver into heat.
Ince notes that his team's RAM material is based on the structures of volcanic basalt and pumice. These materials seem likely to be used because their microscopic porosity can be tuned to trap electromagnetic signals to evade detection.
The main advantage of UAVs is their small size and low cost, which makes it economically impractical to create specialized radio-deflecting designs for them.
But Kürşat 3.0 could be a game-changer if other scientists confirm its real-world effectiveness. Many drones are so tiny that they are difficult to spot at long distances, and applying this sprayed radio-absorbing material (RAM) will only make it more difficult for defense forces to detect and lock onto their targets using traditional radar.
However, this coating is not a complete solution to ensuring complete stealth of drones. The fact is that most drones are designed for efficiency and speed, not stealth characteristics, so they do not have the necessary geometry to deflect radar signals. This is especially true for quadcopters, whose four open blades will easily reflect signals back to the radar transceiver.
However, since these devices are usually tiny, applying Kürşat 3.0 spray will increase their survivability and make it more difficult for air defense operators to detect them on radar screens.
