The Pentagon has received bad news: China's space radar can track stealth targets, now the F-22A and B-2 are in trouble!

Stealth fighters such as the F-22 and B-2 have always relied on low observability technology to "hide and seek," making it difficult for radars to detect them. However, recently, a Chinese space radar system may be about to change the game rules.

In 2022, China launched "Ludi探测一号" (LT-1), a revolutionary dual-satellite radar system. It is not a single satellite working alone, but two satellites working together: one emits radar pulses, while the other receives the echo signals.

This bistatic configuration has a big advantage: it can greatly reduce self-interference and better suppress ground clutter. The result? The system's ability to detect low-observability targets improves. Imagine it like two people working together to listen: one calls out, and the other listens for echoes, reducing noise and making the target clearer.

How exactly does it detect stealth aircraft? A study published this year in the "Journal of Radar" provides clues. This study, based on computer simulations, shows that space radar can effectively suppress ground and sea clutter, detecting slow-moving, weak signal targets, with a minimum speed of 50 kilometers per hour.

Researchers pointed out a key characteristic of bistatic radar: at specific large static angles, the RCS of the target will significantly increase. Simply put, when the radar looks at the target from different angles, the stealth effect of the stealth aircraft may be greatly reduced.

Systems like LT-1 have the capability to overcome clutter limitations, identifying stealth aircraft or drones flying slowly and at low altitudes. If these results are verified in real scenarios, the era of stealth aircraft may come to an end.

F-22, F-35, and even the latest B-21 bomber may lose their stealth protection. With more and more bistatic radar satellites in China, they may achieve round-the-clock, continuous monitoring of U.S. military operations and those of its allies. Imagine it: before, the F-22 could rely on stealth to penetrate, but now it might be "locked" from space, which is definitely a nightmare for the Pentagon.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846394090508619/

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