New Revolutionary Radar Can Detect Stealth Fighter Jets

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Chinese researchers reveal a new radar technology they claim can easily detect stealth aircraft, including the US Army’s F-22, which is known for its stealth capabilities and is one of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft. Conventional radar systems struggle with tracking the fighter jet due to its radar cross-section (RCS) being extremely small (about 0.16 sq inch).

The research team, led by Xie Junwei from the Air Force Engineering University in China, claims that this newly developed technology could increase the radar signature of a stealth fighter. The team described that the new radar system can make a stealth fighter such as the F-22 appear comparable to a typical fighter jet with an RCS of over 6 square meters, indicating a dramatic increase of 60,000 times in an F-22’s radar signature.

According to Interesting Engineering, the researchers also claimed they could locate the F-22 within a combat zone of about 24,300 square miles, and added that they have successfully pinpointed the F-22’s real-time position with unprecedented accuracy. The radar achieved an error margin of less than 65 feet while tracking the stealth fighter, which is enough data to guide interceptor fighters or air-defense missiles.

This new technology uses multiple radars to scan from different angles combined with “smart resource scheduling” – a scheduling system that dynamically shifts detecting resources towards the most exposed portion of the stealth fighter jet, maximizing the intensity and accuracy of its radar signature. According to the team, this system requires only three radars that can be placed on ships, land, and even airplanes.

If these claims are true, then this technology will have significant implications that could negate the combat effectiveness of the F-22, which heavily relies on its stealth capabilities to evade enemy air defenses before striking targets with air-to-air missiles.

The researchers claim they could compute the F-22’s precise coordinates and movement speeds in just 0.008 seconds, and even track the details of each stealth fighter within an invading F-22 formation in just 0.02 seconds.