Most camouflage just hides the skin of vehicle. Tenebraex’s technologies hide the eyes.

Tenebraex’s VARS (Vehicle Anti-Reflection Screen) & xLume® Tactical Lighting

Windshields are prone to generating dangerous, long-range reflections of the sun or moon (or "cold sky flash" when observed by a thermal sight).

Up to now, the only fixes were covering the windshield when parked (no help when the vehicle is in use), appliqués made up of small paint dots (that interfere with windshield cleaning) or removing the glass entirely (which can lead to increased crew injuries).

Tenebraex’s VARS (Vehicle Anti Reflection Screen) is a grid of vanes mounted in front of a windshield and arranged so that they are radial to the driver’s and passenger’s eye positions.  From the inside of the vehicle, vision is essentially unimpeded (like looking though an open venetian blind).  From the outside, reflections are effectively suppressed, or in certain configurations, completely eliminated.  Full range of vision, and thus vehicle usability, is maintained.

killFlash VARS are compatible with  NVGs, will not degrade the performance of a vehicle and are low cost and field-retrofittable.  The material we use is light weight, corrosion-proof and highly resistant to impacts and rough field conditions. 

The windshield wipers and washer are still fully functional with the VARS in place and the VARS can be folded down when the vehicle is not in a tactical situation.  The unit will also block high-angle sun from entering the cabin, thus keeping the interior of the vehicle cooler.  Left up in depot, it will help block UV light that degrades ballistic glass.

The HMMWV VARS shown at left and in the previous photos was constructed for optical signature testing as part of Ft. Belvoir’s Off Route Smart Mines Clearance program (ORSMC). 

The VARS shown here below was constructed as part of the RSTV (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle) low-observables test program.

xLume® Tactical Lighting

After windshield reflections are eliminated, the remaining problem of headlight reflections becomes apparent.  As shown at left, Tenebraex has a fit-and forget technology solution: xLume.® 
Philips Lighting Corporation licensed our technology for use in consumer sealed-beam lamps, marketed under their “Color Clear™” trademark.  These lights look an opaque red, white, blue or black when off, but have a full, DOT approved output and beam pattern when turned on. 

The actual color of the light the lamp produces when turned on is completely unaffected.  An internal honeycomb structure shields the reflector from ambient light, and when the lamp is off it then appears to be an opaque surface the color of the honeycomb.  In a military vehicle, the structure could be painted tan, o.d., brown or black.  The photo above shows 24-volt prototypes which were made for testing by the ORSMC group.