stealth technology
40 SEPTEMBER 2019 \\ AEROSPACETESTINGINTERNATIONAL.COM
optional strike capability.
“So future low-observables
will be a system of systems or
multiple platforms, each of which will
require a different approach to ensure
they have stealth capabilities.”
DESIGN ADVANCES
The advancement of computer
technology in the late 1980s aided the
design of the F-22 Raptor and F-35
Lightning II by removing the need to coat
the airframe in RAM and use newly
created metals with radar absorbing
properties. Under the aircraft’s skin, a
multitude of modifications were made to
hide components within the airframe;
visually the greatest innovation was the
shape of the next generation of stealth
aircraft. Serrated edges were used in
places where there was discontinuity,
such as the weapons bay, undercarriage
and cockpit canopy. Any travelling radar
wave would be reflected towards a less
important angle.
STEALTH RULES
TO LIVE BY
According to designers
and engineers working
within the closely guarded
stealth design and testing
establishments, there are
three golden-rules for a
design, be it a fighter, a
future tanker or an insertion
platform:
1. An aircraft’s survivability
depends upon a complex
mix of design features,
performance, mission
planning and tactics
2. A true stealth aircraft is one
where signature reduction
is a major design objective
from the start
3. Stealth is a complex
design philosophy aimed
at reducing the ability of a
defense system’s sensors
to detect, track and attack
an aircraft
“Low observable or stealth is now a combination of
techniques - it’s speed, getting weapon on to a
target and being able to gather information”
21
Number of B-2
stealth bombers
bought by the USAF
US$2bn
Cost of a B-2 stealth
bomber
2 // The iconic B-2 Spirit
made its first flight 30 years
ago and continues to be the
world’s only stealth bomber
1999, during the NATO bombing campaign over
Yugoslavia, an F-117 was downed by a surface-to-air
missile. Despite the loss of what was thought to be an
invisible aircraft by the mainstream media, the
technology had already proved sufficiently that it could
work in an operational environment.
SUPERCOMPUTING SUCCESS
The success of the F-117, coupled with advancements in
super-computer technology capable of calculating far
more permutations of radar reflection from multiple
directions, meant blended stealth designs were now
possible. They were used on fifth-generation aircraft and
are likely to remain an important requirement for sixth
generation designs now on the drawing board.
According to Jeff Babione, vice president and general
manager of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, stealth
will still play a significant role in the design of
sixth-generation platforms. He says, “Low observable or
stealth is now a combination of techniques - it’s speed,
getting weapon on to a target and being able to gather
information,” he says. “What has to be remembered
when applying stealth is that it no longer applies to just
fighters. Everything has to be able to operate in a
contested airspace.
“In terms of aircraft platforms, the fifth generation
today, such as the F-35 and F-22, have to be able to
operate in this space and stay there. So, when they need
fuel, a future requirement is a low-observable refueling
platform - we have a design for this.
“Aircraft platforms will also need a command and
control node within that environment, which can also
operate as an electronic warfare platform with an
2
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