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From: fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Stealth and radars (was: "Stealth" Bombers)
Message-ID: <1991Jan23.043916.7693@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 23 Jan 91 04:39:16 GMT
References: <1991Jan21.041430.5413@cbnews.att.com> <1991Jan22.022031.22399@cbnews.att.com>
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From: fiddler@Eng.Sun.COM (Steve Hix)

> From: parmentier@iowasp.physics.uiowa.edu
> In article <1991Jan21.041430.5413@cbnews.att.com>, ar73+@andrew.cmu.edu (Aymerik Renard) writes:
> >     The B-2 is the stealth bomber. The F-117A is the stealth fighter.
> > It's also interesting to note that the F-117A can be detected by radars
> > on some of the Mirage planes.

Heard a report that the Saudi's were tickled pink that one of their new
French radars was clearly picking up F-117's.  At least until they were
told that they were getting it because the 117's were either using transponders
or radar reflectors to avoid mid-airs during the training operations
before the fighting started.

According to the report, when hostilities commenced, the 117's disappeared
again.

> 	Stealth technology only allows an aircraft to be invisible to a
> small range of frequencies.  

One of Lockheed's methods used on the F-117 was to shape it so that radar
hitting it would be reflected back in sharply-defined directions.  Radar
units get returns from them, but rarely returns to the radar unit sending
the signal.  The returns they do get tend to be brief "sparkles", and
some equipment filters out such returns as noise.

--
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  The only drawback with morning is that it comes 
    at such an inconvenient time of day.
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