Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson xttemp dept303) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: How Many B-2's Are Enough ??? Message-ID: <8445@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 20 Jul 89 01:34:57 GMT References: <8347@cbnews.ATT.COM> <8413@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: Wyse Technology Lines: 27 Approved: military@att.att.com From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson xttemp dept303) In article <8413@cbnews.ATT.COM> sun!Central!uokmax!jkmedcal@uunet.UU.NET (Jeff K Medcalf) writes: > > >From: Jeff K Medcalf > stuff deleted > >Except the Soviets are way ahead of us in IR technology (in fact, most if not >all of thier newer fighters have infrared sensors on them, enabling an elec- >tronically silent approach and kill), and may very well opt to up this lead, >put large airborne infrared sensors in service in conjunction with satellites, >and thus spend much less money developing a counter. This would not be good >enough to stop a fleet, but it could stop 5-10. I'm not sure I buy this at all. We aren't exactly incapable of dealing with IR ourselves. We have a multitude of VERY capable weapons systems using IR technology, i.e. Sidewinder, nite vision systems, etc. Secondly, it is my understanding that one of the design parameters of the stealth hardware is to muffle the IR signatures of the planes. Note I've got no special access to any info other than Aviation Weekly, but I seem to recall that this was included in the plane's design. Steve Wilson