Compatible Stealth for Infrared and Radar Bands: Mechanisms, Materials, and Design Strategies

Stealth technology is a cornerstone of battlefield electro-optical countermeasures, essential for improving the survivability and penetration capability of military platforms. In recent years, compatible stealth technologies in both radar and infrared bands have developed rapidly to counter the advancing multispectral detection technologies. Extensive research has been carried out separately on radar and infrared stealth materials. However, developing compatible stealth materials presents significant challenges, on account of the conflicting stealth mechanisms of radar and infrared technologies. Despite growing attention, a comprehensive review integrating design principles, material systems, and progress in radar-infrared compatible stealth remains scarce. This review systematically explores the mechanisms of infrared/radar individual stealth and their infrared/radar compatible counterpart, classifies the state-of-the-art materials and structures, elaborates on the methods for overcoming the impedance matching problem of multilayer compatible stealth materials, and highlights the role of emerging designs in achieving broadband stealth. Finally, it identifies the challenges that single-type and multilayer compatible stealth materials are facing and future directions, aiming to guide the development of high-performance, multispectral stealth technologies.