Thermal Concealment and Camouflage of Foxhole Trenches in the Sardasht Plain

Given the essential role of individual trenches in the survival and mission accomplishment of insider forces, especially in the plains, it is obvious that the enemy uses a variety of aerial and space sensors for their detection and identification. Imaging cameras are one of the main systems for detecting targets, especially at night. The main agent that causes the detection of a trench in thermal images is the thermal anomaly in its opening with respect to the surrounding environment. This study intends to use field observations and visual assessment methods to investigate the possibility of identifying fighters stationed in foxhole trenches and to provide measures and considerations to prevent the detection of foxhole trenches in plain areas. For this purpose, 36 scenarios in different positions namely: person standing next to the trench, person standing in the trench and person sitting in the trench, two different times, bright and dark days at different distances, are considered. Based on the experimental results obtained, it is possible to detect foxhole trenches without camouflage in plain areas at close range. Also, the best type of camouflage is the use of dry and lifeless plants related to the area.