invisibility from fiction into science

The U.S. military is backing the development of camouflage fabrics that could one day make their soldiers completely invisible, it has been claimed.The so-called 'Quantum Stealth' camouflage material is said to render its wearers completely invisible by bending light waves around them.

its makers claim the material, which is in effect similar to the invisibility cloak worn by Harry Potter, can even fool night-vision goggles. However, its development is apparently so secret the Canadian company behind it says it cannot even show the technology in action and offers only mock ups of its effect on their website.

Nevertheless, Guy Cramer, CEO of Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp, says he does not care that some observers remain sceptical as to his company's claims since 'the people that need to know that it works have seen it'. 'Two separate command groups within the U.S. Military and two separate Canadian Military groups as well as Federal Emergency Response Team (Counter Terrorism) have seen the actual material so they could verify that I was not just manipulating video or photo results,' Mr Cramer said. 'These groups now know that it works and does so without cameras, batteries, lights or mirrors...It is lightweight and quite inexpensive. Both the U.S. and Canadian military have confirmed that it also works against military IR scopes and Thermal Optics.'

In a statement published on his company's website, Mr Cramer explained he cannot disclose any details about how his remarkable fabric bends light around its wearer. Instead he gives examples of how it might be used.

He says it would be invaluable to pilots forced to eject over enemy terrain and evade capture; it would allow special forces teams to carry out raids in broad daylight without detection; it could enable the creation of the next generation of stealth aircraft, invisible not only to radar but also the naked eye; and it would enable submarines to remain concealed even when they surface near an enemy fleet.

Most incredibly, he imagines a group of Canadian battle tanks decked out with Quantum Stealth camouflage that could engage an enemy unit with no signs of their location except the sound of their engines and guns.

'As news spreads of an invisible Canadian army which can move without detection, the psychological effect on the enemy is devastating, they never know when or even if this invisible army has them targeted or surrounded,' he said.

'How can you hit a target you cannot see, how do you defend from the invisible?' Mr Cramer, who was recently interviewed by news broadcaster CNN about the new technology, says he has disclosed his breakthrough to the public in order to 'get the attention' of the U.S. military.

'After enough press had been written on the subject, the U.S. Military Command finally asked to see the real material to verify that it worked,' he said.

'Those meetings took place with very limited “Need to Know” access and the technology is now moving forward.'

The MailOnline has contacted the Ministry of Defence for a comment on the new technology, but as yet has received no response.