CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Australia's Mackay Consolidated Industries, working with the government, is fitting new radar absorbing material to submarines.
The country's Defense Science and Technology Organization said the rubber material, being installed on the country's Collin class submarines, was better than radar absorbers obtained from abroad.
"The old material showed evidence of deterioration and rust, where it affixed to the Collins," said DSTO maritime platforms researcher Andrew Amiet. "The underlying metal also needed to be treated with hydrofluoric acid, to help affix the absorber."
The new material doesn't need treatment with hydrofluoric acid.
"It is designed to reduce the range at which other sea or airborne platforms can detect a Collins class submarine," he said. The effectiveness of the absorber has been validated through measurements performed by electronic warfare and radar experts at DSTO."
