New Lightweight Camouflage Poncho to Enhance Soldier Stealth & Mobility

Saab has introduced the Barracuda Poncho, a lightweight camouflage system designed to protect individual soldiers from sensor-based detection in diverse combat environments.

The solution is the latest addition to the Barracuda range of advanced camouflage technologies, specifically engineered to hide users from thermal sensors and, in its arctic configuration, ultraviolet sensors. Weighing just over one kilogram, the poncho is designed for rapid deployment and adjustment, ensuring that soldiers maintain the freedom of movement required to act quickly and quietly in the field.

The Barracuda Poncho provides visual and thermal protection across a wide array of settings, including woodland, stony desert, and arctic conditions. Its reversible design features specific configurations for day and night operations on each side, with the night-facing side providing enhanced thermal protection.

“Barracuda Poncho is our answer to the recent rise in UAV-based surveillance on the battlefield, where a mission can be compromised if the soldier even briefly leaves a camouflaged vehicle or position. Building on the positive response from our Soldier System, the new Barracuda Poncho solution provides an alternative camouflage solution, focusing on wearability while retaining the exceptional multispectral protection,” says Henning Robach, head of Saab’s business unit Barracuda.

Saab’s technology will be showcased at the Eurosatory 2026 exhibition.