US Air Force General wants to develop invisibility technology to hide military planes

The Commander of the US Air Force's Air Mobility Command wants to develop "Star Trek" electronic cloaking technologies to protect military aircraft. General Carlton Everhart has called for Silicon Valley technology companies, specialists at the Pentagon's new innovation office and the wider defense industry to build something capable of altering a plane's radar image, to either hide it completely or trick the system into thinking it's in an entirely different location. One of Air Mobility Command's responsibilities is refuelling US armed forces aircraft in mid-air. General Everhart says he'd like to see both brand new and bulkier, first-generation Air Mobility Command aircraft receive the treatment, which he believes will have the dual-benefit of also keeping fighter jets hidden from enemies. The I.F.O. is fuelled by eight electric engines, which is able to push the flying object to an estimated top speed of about 120mph.