Functional Materials for 24/7 Autonomy: EMC, Infrared Signature, and Environmental Durability

Abstract. This paper distills materials requirements for around-the-clock autonomy in VTOL UAVs across three domains: EMC and communications, thermal and infrared management, and environmental durability. We map system functions, such as GNSS-independent navigation, anti-jamming capability, and mesh networking, to material and integration choices. These include conductive and absorbing shielding with low-loss RF laminates, radomes with controlled permittivity and low loss tangent in the operating band with uniform thickness to limit pattern distortion, low impedance heat paths with emissivity engineered coatings, and structures and barrier systems that preserve mechanical and dielectric properties after exposure to moisture, ultraviolet radiation, and thermal cycling. We describe trade-offs between shielding and antenna efficiency, emissivity and cooling, and mass versus resistance to erosion and fatigue, and codify the corresponding selection criteria. A representative layered reference architecture (RA) serves as the foundation for the analysis, providing a framework for the co-design case study. We close with an outlook on an AI-tunable multimodal camouflage layer that extends the same co-design principles.