Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!amdcad!amdcad!military
From: DWN102@psuvm.psu.edu
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Marconi Radar detects F117?
Message-ID: <1991Apr3.024737.24230@amd.com>
Date: 1 Apr 91 01:32:23 GMT
References: <1991Mar29.031947.16962@amd.com>
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Lines: 41
Approved: military@amd.com



From: DWN102@psuvm.psu.edu

	[11 unnecessary lines of quoted text deleted. 
	 I also had to reformat the paragraphs to fit
	 normal screens.  --CDR]

   From what I heard, when the F-117's were practicing before the war,
they used radar reflectors on the planes so that air traffic control
could track them.  But assuming the Marconi radar actually did detect
them in combat conditions did it actually track them? The F-117's are
designed to reflect radar energy in only a few select directions (note
its faceted shape).  It is possible that the Marconi radar detected
them in a turn and the radar echo made it back to the ship.  A random
blip on the radar screen every once in a while would probably be
attributed to interference or atmospheric conditions.  However the
British ship surely would have known the general flight plans for the
day.  And if she detected some occasional blips in the direction of the
F-117's I wouldn't consider that much of an accomplishment.  Could she
really track and kill the plane in combat?

   You also have to take into account the fact that the planes
probably wouldn't be flying straight at the ship (they were bombing
Iraq afterall).  The front of the aircraft is where designers make the
most effort to stealthify the plane.  To do this other areas of the
plane might have to suffer in stealth detail (i.e. they may reflect the
radar pulses in certain directions as mentioned before).  The point
of the last three sentences is what would the F-117 look like to the
radar if the plane was coming to attack the ship itself?

   Now if this radar really did track the F-117 accurately under a
variety of conditions enough to be able fire a missile at it, then
the Air Force really does have problems.  Of course then the
missile's radar or IR has to be able to find the plane and lock
onto it, that's a whole other story.

   BTW Don't always believe everything defense contractors say.

Dave Bancroft
dwn102@psuvm.psu.edu