Stealth Aircraft Radar Signature

Question

A lot of documentaries about stealth aircraft like the F-22 or B-2 state how the radar signature of these planes is that of a small bird. Wouldn't the enemy still be able to locate these aircraft because no bird can fly so fast?

Answer 1

Radar doesnt "see" small birds.

Answer 2

No, because the Radars do not search for things as small as that. The Radar signatures of the F-22, B-2 F-117 (Not in Service anymore), can have the signature size like this, but most of the time they have even less to "No" signature.

Answer 3

True Jim, but stealth, coupled with other aircraft jamming the frequencies, and the dudes on the ground are basically blind to what is out there after their butts.

Answer 4

No, radar works on reflected energy.  If there isn't enough reflected energy for the radar processing software to consider it a return, then it won't show up.  Velocity is determined by the time the emitted energy takes to hit the target and return-which you've experienced if you've gotten a speeding ticket.  If there's no return, there's by definition no velocity.

Low observables can be detected via bi-static radars BTW; which have the emitters and receivers at different geographic locations.  Also designs are optimized for certain wavelengths of electromagnetic energy-shoot different wavelengths-it's possible to get a usable return.

It's useful, and a great advantage but it's not the Romulan Cloaking Device the popular press makes it out to be.

EDIT:  "Resolution Cell".  Not bad for a Viper guy...Yes it does.  I just wanted to give the 101 version of what "stealth" is, and disabuse folks of the be-all-and-end-all the Discovery Channel makes it out to be...

Answer 5

All depends on the resolution cell, doesn't it Jim?

Answer 6

The real answer to your question is that you can't find it here.  It is all classified, and no answer will actually suffice.  We wouldn't be doing it and spending such big money if it didn't work well enough to kill people.  The Discover Channel will have to do for now.

However, to add to some details above...Behind every radar antenna is a computer, and behind the computer is a person.  The processing of returns that takes place behind the "dish," separates out what you can see and later track.  Antennas are slaves not only to waveforms and power, but to what the computer can figure out.  Out in the environment there are clouds, birds, ground, man-made objects, and water features that might not be of interest to a radar operator depending on their mission.  That doesn't mean that birds get filtered by every radar all the time.  There are many different types of radars that operate very differently from one another, with very different processing systems and different missions.  Therefore, there is no one answer to your question either.  Sorry, you've scraped the wall of information available since it's all on the other side and branches off in every direction anyway.  Good luck.

Answer 7

Millimetre Radar!!! All these planes are designed to reflect that wavelength and that wavelength only!! The Australian Air Force used HF Radar for its Northern Defence Network and the f-22 looked like a 747 and the b-2 looked like the moon. So Stealth is not really stealth unless you are a lamo.