Why didn't "Dutch" & his commandos bring any thermal imaging devices?

Why didn't "Dutch" & his commandos bring any thermal imaging devices? - Woman Standing at Table with Vegetables

In 1987's Predator movie we can see the Predator using thermal imaging and sensitive listening devices to find humans to hunt.

Why didn't Dutch and the commandos bring thermal imaging devices like goggles or sensitive listening devices with them on the mission?

Is it because this technology was not available at that time?



Best Answer

Was this technology not available at the time?

It was but for soldiers on the ground this usually translated to Night Vision Devices.

Pure infrared was more normally used by aerial forces for missile guidance and aircraft detection.

Why didn't "Dutch" and the commandos didn't bring thermal imaging devices like goggles or sensitive listening devices with them on the mission?

Obviously we'll ignore non-plot reasons but the simplest reason would be...

They didn't know they would need it.

Recall, as far as Dutch and his team are concerned this was supposed to be a simple rescue mission, in and out with little or no trouble in a short space of time.

Simple setup. One-day operation. We pick up their trail at the chopper, grab those hostages, and bounce back.

They might be expecting poorly armed guerrillas but not an alien hunting people down.

Also, I don't think the Predator was using an infra-red device, this is their normal vision.

Their vision operates mainly in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum; they can easily detect heat differentials in their surroundings but are unable to easily distinguish among objects of the same relative temperature

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How do soldiers hide from thermal imaging?

Across the globe, the US Army is eyeing two new technological breakthroughs to avoid thermal imaging, with the help of US camouflage manufacturer Fibrotex. These are the Ultra-light Camouflage Netting System (ULCANS) and the Improved Ghillie System (IGS).

Does the military use thermal imaging?

Thermal imaging due to its various advantages has a large number of applications in military and defence. It is popularly used by the army and navy for border surveillance and law enforcement. It is also used in ship collision avoidance and guidance systems.

Who invented thermal imaging?

The ability to take thermal images dates back to 1929 when Hungarian physicist Kalman Tihanyi invented the first infrared-sensitive camera.

What blocks out thermal imaging?

A thick woolen blanket is a good variant to defeat the thermal imager. However, it is considered to be a quick temporary method of hiding infrared radiation. To block the heat, you just need to cover yourself with a blanket. Actually, the principle of hiding from a thermal imager is identical to a space blanket.



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Images: Anna Shvets, Brett Jordan, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio