China's first stealth flight test: Jan.2011
The emergence of stealth technology in air superiority fighters fundamentally changes the basic rules of the game.
Stealth technology also termed LO technology (low observable technology) is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible (ideally invisible) to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection methods.
Stealth changes the tactical environment in fundamental ways. The first result of stealth is that the opponent cannot see the stealthy fighter on radar, or detect its radar on a warning receiver. Therefore, the stealthy fighter can locate, identify and stalk its opponent without being detected. A stealthy fighter can therefore exploit von Richtoven's fundamental axiom, approach its victim undetected and shoot from six o'clock before the opposing fighter even knows it is there.
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The idea is for the radar antenna to send out a burst of radio energy, which is then reflected back by any object it happens to encounter. The radar antenna measures the time it takes for the reflection to arrive, and with that information can tell how far away the object is.
The metal body of an airplane is very good at reflecting radar signals, and this makes it easy to find and track airplanes with radar equipment.
The goal of stealth technology is to make an airplane invisible to radar. There are two different ways to create invisibility:
The airplane can be shaped so that any radar signals it reflects are reflected away from the radar equipment.
The airplane can be covered in materials that absorb radar signals.
Most conventional aircraft have a rounded shape. This shape makes them aerodynamic, but it also creates a very efficient radar reflector. The round shape means that no matter where the radar signal hits the plane, some of the signal gets reflected back:
A stealth aircraft, on the other hand, is made up of completely flat surfaces and very sharp edges. When a radar signal hits a stealth plane, the signal reflects away at an angle, like this:
In addition, surfaces on a stealth aircraft can be treated so they absorb radar energy as well. The overall result is that a stealth aircraft like an F-117A can have the radar signature of a small bird rather than an airplane. The only exception is when the plane banks -- there will often be a moment when one of the panels of the plane will perfectly reflect a burst of radar energy back to the antenna.
Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by the United States (in 1977), Russia (in 2010) and China (in 2011),[8] while the US Military has already adopted three stealth designs, and is preparing to adopt another.
Some news topics:
http://www.flightglobal.com/article...era-e-radar-export-order-to-china-halted.html
2004: Is the Czech the only country that have this Anti-Sealth Radar?
Czech Govt halted the export of these radars to China.China ordered 6 pieces worth $ 57 mil.
The Australian system works on a top down detection process. Officially it's range is circa 3500km's. Unofficially it's been reported that it was able to detect aircraft movements as far as Hong Kong, and intermittently it was usggested that it detected F-117's out of Bagdhad.
During vietnam war, US AC-130 Gunships had sensors to pick up spark plug signals in North Vietnamese supply trucks. This technique was used because most of the vehicles were driven under thick jungle umbrella hence difficult if not impossible to see visually.
