DARPA/USAF Project IVY

[Mr London 24/7]

Some 15 years ago (and perhaps earlier), a few small stories appeared in the media regarding an alleged DARPA/USAF Project IVY. These mentioned an alleged ACTD program featuring active skin panels (perhaps now infamously known as 'electrochromatic') which could change colour upon the application of an electrical charge. This was always of course mentioned in connection with the Groom Lake flight test centre, and may have changed name and/or led to later DARPA 'Smart Skin' programs. Due to this passage of time I wondered had any members anything further to add to this Lore?.

I'm sure there is no need to post any PROJECT YEHUDI or COMPASS GHOST information here in answer. But rather does anyone have anything to add on the alleged IVY ACTD or active Visual Stealth?

I also seem to recall (probably from Avweek at the time or earlier) that this ACTD was alleged as being referred to as 'Poison Ivy' by base workers, presumably due to the toxic nature of some of the chemicals or coatings which may have been involved. But I do also wonder if my recollection of that particular story is accurate so any member who may remember the same would be appreciated.

Any scans showing alleged information in print from old Avweek issues would also be appreciated.

The purpose of the thread is of course to try and rustle up some information either for or against the existence of this Project: as 15 or more years later we have no hard fact in the public domain?

 

[Mr London 24/7]

Typical quotes collected from scattered web pages over time (therefore quotes or issue dates may not be accurate):

Avweek, February 6, 1995:
(http://www.ufomind.com/area51/articles/1995/awst_950206.txt)

Moreover, there are projects that do not involve airframe development. A Pentagon Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD) project is flying a manned aircraft at the classified Groom Lake, Nev., facility. A project, until recently named "Ivy," involves an aircraft coating that changes hues and brightness when subjected to an electrical charge.

November 97 issue of Pop Sci:

For example, an electrically charged coating reportedly under development by the Air Force at its top-secret research facility at Groom Lake in Nevada would by itself reduce the effectiveness of enemy radar by as much as 50 percent. It would also make the craft invisible to the naked eye, since the coating allows the planes' skin color to change automatically to blend in against the background environment..

Avweek, Febuary 5, 1996:
(http://www.ufomind.com/area51/articles/1996/avweek_960205_p26.html)

The manned/unmanned aircraft's coating, considered a forerunner of the
smart-skin concept, is activated by a 24-v. charge that helps trigger
both radar and visual masking. The electrically charged coating
attenuates radar reflections better than current stealth coatings.
Dissipation of 10 dBsm. of radio frequency energy con reduce the
operating range of an air defense radar by 40-50%. Moreover, the coating
has properties that allow aircraft's skin color to be changed to blend
the aircraft into the sky if viewed from below, or various hues of earth
if seen from above.

 

[sublight]

I would say this is more likely what project Ivy was than entire electrochromatic skins. Thousands of people saw it over three months. I'm sure its not from "space". Which leaves only one country that has the engineering and budget to make something so advanced people just wouldn't be able to accept it as military in origin.

 

[sublight]

I cant find this anywhere that Google indexes, but I specifically remember somebody from the air force making the statement during the Waco siege that "we have invisibility" and could go in whenever asked. If you could dig through the AP stories of that time, it might provide some clues. I spent some time digging through LexisNexis and didn't find it there. When I get some more time I am going to hit a couple libraries and Microfiche it.

 

[quellish]

There have been at least several of these projects since the early 1990s. I've never been able to connect the name IVY with any of them, but there have definitely been active programs developing active visual signature reduction methods.
The "smart skin" talked about in the articles was slated for Tier III/AARS and later Darkstar, but it's not clear wether this was for the initial version of AARS or "block 20". Around the same time (1993/1994) there was a flying prototype of the skin mounted on an aircraft under test at Groom.
Since then DARPA and several contractors have continued to invest in this area. Currently there are major efforts to reduce the visual and acoustic signatures of UAVs, which is a difficult problem given the power and size constraints of the aircraft they want to deploy it on.

Sadly, all of my information comes from people associated with the programs and/or facilities. I have not been able to find a paper trail for these efforts yet.

 

[flateric]

similar to Project Ivy works are being carried in Russia (at lest, several patents were issued to military institutes)

 

[flateric]

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=MP0JAAAAEBAJ&dq

 

[Ian33]

I remember reading a few years ago a University in the USA that was working on a colour changing skin through the use of nanotech - it mimic the skin of a cuttlefish and thus could rapidly shift colours to confuse the eye.

I will ask around about it because some one must remember it!

 

[sublight]

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=MP0JAAAAEBAJ&dq

I am really tempted here to connect the patent to the picture above. BUT though the patent does mention distribution of optical energy at desired levels it doesn't specifically cover moving the direction of the light in real time. Witnesses described the lights of the beams moving in a figure 8 pattern.

 

[Mr London 24/7]

Thank you for all the replies Gents.

The AARS connection is an interesting one, certainly in the light of the infamous anecdotes about Quartz/AARS carrying tech so advanced it literally couldn't be allowed to crash on enemy territory, and so thus had almost failed its intended mission before it took off.

IVY would appear to have been more what you refer to Quellish when you say:

round the same time (1993/1994) there was a flying prototype of the skin mounted on an aircraft under test at groom

. One presumes on a known airframe, such as an F-16 perhaps.

I would have thought that this tech would lend itself well to an airframe like TACIT BLUE (the slab sides and simple shapes allowing application of large panels of material), and specifically for it's BSAX mission where a loitering aircraft (with all-aspect Stealth) could then hide amongst the overcast above West Germany, tracking invading Armour. I think there's a hole in the story of how TACIT BLUE would have been expected to survive long enough otherwise?.

I have hoped that early tech could find it's way into a .PDF released on something related perhaps.

I think there may have been talk of BoP as a demonstrator, although if this was more than just the shaping there is again no evidence apparent yet?.


I personally would guess that this (IVY) tech would not have been as advanced as the vehicle seen and tracked over Belgium though Sublight.