2 ms·
They are guided by active radar, passive radar, and optical sensors. Their range is anywhere from 5000-700km, but many can be air-launched.
by sudosysgen 5y ago
They are guided by active radar, passive radar, and optical sensors. Their range is anywhere from 5000-700km, but many can be air-launched.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y agoIf they are hypersonic in the atmosphere then they have radio opaque plasma around them. How do they transmit and receive radar pulses? How do they see with optical sensors?
- sudosysgen 5y agoThat is not how plasma stealth works. The temperature of the plasma determines the minimum frequency of RF that gets through. So you have to use a higher frequency radar and make sure the temperature of the plasma is not too high in front of the radar. You don't have to put the radar on the nose. For optical sensors you would be imaging off-axis. So you can put the sensors pointing, say, 30 degrees below forwards relatively far back and there will not be much plasma in front of the sensors as it comes from compression and not friction. There's a NASA PDF floating around that cites ~7000 K as the temperature of a plasma in front of hypersonic aircraft and concludes that radar is feasible then.