There are a few different ways that stealth aircraft can avoid detection. One way is to use special materials that absorb radar waves, making the aircraft less visible to radar. The shape of the aircraft can also be designed to deflect radar waves in a way that makes the aircraft less visible. Finally, the aircraft can be equipped with special electronic systems that emit false radar signals or interfere with enemy radar signals, making the aircraft more difficult to detect.
Can you suggest a different approach?
Purely hypothetically- if you can make impedance of the plane equal to the surrounding air then nothing is reflected back. All radar signals would just pass through the medium.
One way to do this is to use metamaterials. Metamaterials are artificially created materials that have properties that don't occur in nature. For example, you can create a material that has a negative refractive index, meaning that it bends light in the opposite direction of a normal material. This property can be used to create a cloak of invisibility.
Also anti-reflection coating could be theoretically used. Material with the thickness of one quarter of wavelength will phase reflected waves out. In reality it can be too thick as radio waves have relatively large wavelengths. It would only work on single frequency and effectiveness will probably also depend on angle of incident.
1. Airframe Design : Reduce aircraft size to reduce radar cross section, adopt low Observability criteria like parallel edges, orthogonal shaped corners/ surfaces, air intake design. Use reentrant triangle parts in internal surfaces to deflect internally/ trap energy of radar waves that have penetrated the airframe skin.
2. Engine Design: Reduce radar acoustic and thermal signatures of compressor and turbine rotor blades as well as engine Jet exhaust Design.
3. Materials: using Dielectric composite materials for Airframe to moderate radar reflecting properties. Composites for engine moving parts.
4. Coating: Radar absorbant paints.
Thank you for your response, George Prakash . Your suggestions are very helpful.
The previous answers are correct, but what is most important is the radar being an active source of transmission of electromagnetic waves. Weapons targeting has to rely on other systems such as infrared, which has been used by the Russians for decades. This type of targeting is susceptible to interference from clouds and mountains. There is no perfect solution but a compromise
Thank you for your input, Gabriele Carpitano. Your argument is well-reasoned and thought out. I agree that the radar being an active source of transmission of electromagnetic waves is important, and other systems such as infrared are also important.
The input by Gabriele on type of targeting may not be relevant to the question at hand which pertains to design of stealth aircraft to avoid detection.
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