Changes: Stealth aircraft

Revision as of 23:58, 24 August 2012

A steath aircraft uses stealth technology, which includes special airframes and various other technologies to prevent the enemy from tracking it, making the aircraft "invisible" to radar, infrared, audio and rado frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany on World War II, while the Germans had noticd that flying wing designs have a lower radar cross section than conventional aircraft designs. Very advanced stealth aircraft include the United States' F-117 Nighthawk (1981–2008), the B-2 Spirit, the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II

While no aircraft is totally invisible to radar, stealth aircraft prevent conventional radar from detecting or tracking the aircraft effectively, reducing the odds of a successful attack, so that the stealth aircraft can strikie before its enemy can engage. Stealth comes from a combination of passive low observable (LO) features and active emitters such as Low Probability of Intercept Radars, radios and laser designators. These are usually combined with active defenses such as chaff, flares, and electronic countermeasures. It is accomplished by using a complex design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponent's sensors to detect, track, or attack the stealth aircraft. This philosophy also takes into account the heat, sound, and other emissions of the aircraft as these can also be used to locate it. In other words, the prinicples of steath design "hide" the aircraft from the enemy while leaving a minimal footprint.

Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by the United States (in 1977), Russia (in 2010) and China (in 2011), while the US Armed Forces has already adopted three stealth designs, and is preparing to adopt another, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

Most recent fighter designs will at least claim to have some sort of stealth, low observable, reduced RCS or radar jamming capability, but as of yet there has been no actual air to air combat experience against stealth aircraft.

Methods to track an aircraft

1. Radar

This is the most conventional way to locate an aircraft-- sending out radar waves, which then relect back to their sources. Stealthy aircraft have a lot of paralleled edges to guide the radar waves away. The following aircraft utilize this technology:

B-2 Spirit
Boeing Bird of Prey
Boeing X-32
Chengdu J-20
F-117 Nighthawk
F-15SE Silent Eagle
F-19
F-35 Lightning II
FB-22 Strike Raptor
KAI KF-X
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
Lockheed Martin X-35
Lockheed Martin YF-22
Medium Combat Aircraft
Mitsubishi ATD-X
Northrop YF-23
Sukhoi PAK-FA
Tupolev PAK-DA

2. IR-seeker (Infrared)

No conventional stealth aircraft can escape an IR-seeker but planes with hidden engines and downcooled thrust:

F-22 Raptor
YF-23 Black Widow II
B-2 Spirit
F-117 Nighthawk
Boeing X-32

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[File:MuguF117.jpg|thumb|220px|right]]
-An Aircraft uses Stealth technology if it uses a special airframe or other technology to prevent the enemy to track it, those methods are to be invisible to radar, infrared, visual, audio and rado frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany on [[World War II]], while the Germans had noticd that flying wing designs have a lower radar cross section than conventional aircraft designs. Very advanced stealth aircraft include the United States' [[F-117 Nighthawk]] (1981–2008), the [[B-2 Spirit]], the [[F-22 Raptor]] and [[F-35 Lightning II]]
+A steath aircraft uses stealth technology, which includes special airframes and various other technologies to prevent the enemy from tracking it, making the aircraft "invisible" to radar, infrared, audio and rado frequency spectrum. Development of stealth technology likely began in Germany on [[World War II]], while the Germans had noticd that flying wing designs have a lower radar cross section than conventional aircraft designs. Very advanced stealth aircraft include the United States' [[F-117 Nighthawk]] (1981–2008), the [[B-2 Spirit]], the [[F-22 Raptor]] and [[F-35 Lightning II]]
-While no aircraft is totally invisible to radar, stealth aircraft prevent conventional radar from detecting or tracking the aircraft effectively, reducing the odds of a successful attack, so that the stealth aircraft can attack before it´s enemy. Stealth is the combination of passive low observable (LO) features and active emitters such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Probability_of_Intercept_Radar Low Probability of Intercept Radars], radios and laser designators. These are usually combined with active defenses such as chaff, flares, and Electronic Countermeasures. It is accomplished by using a complex design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponent's sensors to detect, track, or attack the stealth aircraft. This philosophy also takes into account the heat, sound, and other emissions of the aircraft as these can also be used to locate it.
+While no aircraft is totally invisible to radar, stealth aircraft prevent conventional radar from detecting or tracking the aircraft effectively, reducing the odds of a successful attack, so that the stealth aircraft can strikie before its enemy can engage. Stealth comes from a combination of passive low observable (LO) features and active emitters such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_Probability_of_Intercept_Radar Low Probability of Intercept Radars], radios and laser designators. These are usually combined with active defenses such as chaff, flares, and electronic countermeasures. It is accomplished by using a complex design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponent's sensors to detect, track, or attack the stealth aircraft. This philosophy also takes into account the heat, sound, and other emissions of the aircraft as these can also be used to locate it.  In other words, the prinicples of steath design "hide" the aircraft from the enemy while leaving a minimal footprint.
 Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by the United States (in 1977), Russia (in 2010) and China (in 2011), while the [[US Armed Forces]] has already adopted three stealth designs, and is preparing to adopt another, [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]].
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==='''1. Radar'''===
-The most conventional way to locate an aircraft, is when using radar waves which are reflected back to it´s source. Stealthy aircraft have a lot of paralleled edges to guide the radar waves away from itself, the following aircraft have this technology:
+This is the most conventional way to locate an aircraft-- sending out radar waves, which then relect back to their sources. Stealthy aircraft have a lot of paralleled edges to guide the radar waves away.  The following aircraft utilize this technology:
 *B-2 Spirit
@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 *Tupolev PAK-DA
-==='''2. IR-seeker'''===
+==='''2. IR-seeker (Infrared)'''===
-No conventional stealth aircraft can escape an IR-seeker, except planes with hidden engines and downcooled thrust:
+No conventional stealth aircraft can escape an IR-seeker but planes with hidden engines and downcooled thrust:
 *F-22 Raptor
 *YF-23 Black Widow II