3 ms·

Interesting, apparently it's because of "passive radar" which I'd never heard about before... "Passive radar equipment computes an aerial picture by reading ho

Interesting, apparently it's because of "passive radar" which I'd never heard about before... "Passive radar equipment computes an aerial picture by reading how civilian communications signals bounce off airborne objects." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_radar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_radar

lallysingh 7y ago
I've seen a presentation (over 10 yrs ago) where passive radar was set up as a secondary sensor system that is hard to locate because it's not transmitting. One attack scenario is with a stealth plane first attacking the radar systems, then regular planes come in after. So the passive systems would stay up, as most attacks won't target civilian infrastructure. Still, there's a hint of hiding behind civilians here I don't particularly like. But I'm just being impractical about the matter. You can't optimize your civilian transmitters to send out signals best for radio detection and ranging, so you lose accuracy. Better than nothing.
- SiempreViernes 7y ago
  I don't see how its hiding behind civilians? Typically a well marked road march isn't seen as comparable to using human shields, there mere sharing of infrastructure isn't enough.
  - lallysingh 7y ago
    Essentially it's using civilian transmitters as part of a military radar system. A stretch, given.
mrec 7y ago
If you want to be extra cheeky, you can use your opponent's radar emitter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Heidelberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Heidelberg
m0zg 7y ago
F22 and F35 themselves have passive radars as well, and can detect stuff without emitting anything. Passive radar is not much more than a phased antenna array without an emitter, you just don't have anything to light up the target with. Once you start emitting you're not stealth anymore, and you can be shot down pretty easily. Same with carrying external ordnance. Same with worn out radar absorbing coating. Same with any physical defects on the plane's surface. That's why these planes are designed to only be stealth in the first few days of a real, actual war, and then once they get scuffed a little by e.g. bullets or debris you're supposed to treat them like regular fighters and not rely on their no longer existent stealth.

lallysingh 7y ago

I've seen a presentation (over 10 yrs ago) where passive radar was set up as a secondary sensor system that is hard to locate because it's not transmitting. One attack scenario is with a stealth plane first attacking the radar systems, then regular planes come in after. So the passive systems would stay up, as most attacks won't target civilian infrastructure. Still, there's a hint of hiding behind civilians here I don't particularly like. But I'm just being impractical about the matter. You can't optimize your civilian transmitters to send out signals best for radio detection and ranging, so you lose accuracy. Better than nothing.

SiempreViernes 7y ago
I don't see how its hiding behind civilians? Typically a well marked road march isn't seen as comparable to using human shields, there mere sharing of infrastructure isn't enough.
- lallysingh 7y ago
  Essentially it's using civilian transmitters as part of a military radar system. A stretch, given.

mrec 7y ago

If you want to be extra cheeky, you can use your opponent's radar emitter. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Heidelberg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Heidelberg

m0zg 7y ago

F22 and F35 themselves have passive radars as well, and can detect stuff without emitting anything. Passive radar is not much more than a phased antenna array without an emitter, you just don't have anything to light up the target with. Once you start emitting you're not stealth anymore, and you can be shot down pretty easily. Same with carrying external ordnance. Same with worn out radar absorbing coating. Same with any physical defects on the plane's surface. That's why these planes are designed to only be stealth in the first few days of a real, actual war, and then once they get scuffed a little by e.g. bullets or debris you're supposed to treat them like regular fighters and not rely on their no longer existent stealth.