Counter stealth and counter drones technologies

skunk works

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What kind of RADAR- alternative counter-stealth tech is being explored? Let's leave thermal sensing aside. Any nation exploring:
  1. Sensing disturbance in air by flying object?
  2. Long range sound catching to detect a fighter?
  3. Satellite Spotting, since stealth fighters will present un-stealthy top profile to Satellites above?
  4. Any other non-radar technology?
 

StealthFlanker

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What kind of RADAR- alternative counter-stealth tech is being explored? Let's leave thermal sensing aside. Any nation exploring:
  1. Sensing disturbance in air by flying object?
  2. Long range sound catching to detect a fighter?
  3. Satellite Spotting, since stealth fighters will present un-stealthy top profile to Satellites above?
  4. Any other non-radar technology?
1. That is basically IIR
2. Too slow, given that airplane generally travel at Mach 0.8
3. Satellite doesn't carry radar strong enough to detect fighters, they mostly used against big target such as ship. While the EO/IIR sensor will need very long scan time unless the target is extremely bright like a ballistic missile. That because if the target is bright then you can use EO/IIR sensor in wide FoV mode.
4. ESM
 

skunk works

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1. That is basically IIR
2. Too slow, given that airplane generally travel at Mach 0.8
3. Satellite doesn't carry radar strong enough to detect fighters, they mostly used against big target such as ship. While the EO/IIR sensor will need very long scan time unless the target is extremely bright like a ballistic missile. That because if the target is bright then you can use EO/IIR sensor in wide FoV mode.
4. ESM
Thank you! This was interesting. I will read up on these.
 

skunk works

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Just read book 'Stealth' by Peter Westwick
On history of stealth development at Lockheed and Northrop, and the personalities involved.
Important points:
  1. Stealth was inadvertently observed on SM-62 SNARK missile. It was not part of the design COYLE ICKYbut the smooth shape caused some stealthiness, which was observed during testing.
  2. The earliest vehicles designed with stealth in mind were the Mark-12 re-entry vehicles for the MINUTEMAN ballistic missile, and the AGM-69 SRAM missile.
  3. The reason for the F-117 NIGHTHAWK stealth bomber looking like a series of flat plates was because the computer program used by Lockheed to model RCS- the ECHO- could only calculate RCS in flat sections.
  4. The reason the B-2 looks smoother and rounded is that Northrop had by that time mastered modeling of RCS in curved surfaces, using its GENSCAT program.
 

Blademaster

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F117 NIGHTHAWK close up pictures, stealth features visible. My own pictures. Notice faceted design, unique engine intakes, angles of wings etc.
View attachment 172157

Notice PITOT tubesView attachment 172158
Rear profileView attachment 172159View attachment 172160View attachment 172161
View attachment 172163

View attachment 172162
[My conspiracy hat on] I do not think that static display is the real model version of the Nighthawk they use in combat. I think the real measurements & dimensions are vastly different as to keep the stealth characteristics in top secret mode. [My conspiracy hat off]
 

skunk works

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[My conspiracy hat on] I do not think that static display is the real model version of the Nighthawk they use in combat. I think the real measurements & dimensions are vastly different as to keep the stealth characteristics in top secret mode. [My conspiracy hat off]
They also have a prototype F-22 and a prototype B-2 in the same building. In fact, i met the guy who's job it is to de-militarize these aircraft.
i actually asked him if he was worried about chinese tourists scraping off the skin materials off the F22/B2 and he said 'it won't help them.' so i guessed they have already done something about that stuff.
 

DumbPilot

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They also have a prototype F-22 and a prototype B-2 in the same building. In fact, i met the guy who's job it is to de-militarize these aircraft.
i actually asked him if he was worried about chinese tourists scraping off the skin materials off the F22/B2 and he said 'it won't help them.' so i guessed they have already done something about that stuff.
This reminds me of this famous(and very embarassing) incident involving space race espionage:
 

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