Can aircraft be completely immune to radar detection? Stealth Technology explained

How do you make an aircraft show up on a radar-like a small bird or something even as harmless as a small moth as opposed to the 20-ton killing machine that it is?

The existence of a "Stealth" program, designed to produce aircraft that were effectively immune to radar detection at normal combat ranges, was announced by the U.S. government in 1980.

Now the many nitty-gritties of stealth technology remain classified of course, although the basic principles remain the same.

Let's take a look into what this elusive technology is basically about.

Stealth Technology

SlideServe

Getting started

Also dubbed as Low Observable Technology (LO technology), the development of modern stealth technologies commenced in the United States in 1958 when earlier attempts to prevent radar tracking of its U-2 spy planes during the Cold War by the Soviet Union had been unsuccessful.

U-2 Dragon Lady | Lockheed Martin |

The goal of stealth technology is to make an airplane invisible to radar. Although no aircraft is invisible to radar, stealth aircraft make it all the more difficult for conventional radar to detect or track the aircraft effectively.

Basically, there are two ways of creating invisibility:

The airplane can be shaped in a way that any radar signals it reflects are reflected away from the radar equipment and not towards it.Materials that absorb radar signals to be used for the construction of airframes and engines.

Radar

Ever since radar-directed defences began taking a toll on bomber formations in World War II, aerospace engineers and military aviators racked their brains to come up with effective ways to avoid radar detection.

Airplanes of the early jet age saw the use of materials, although heavy and not strong enough for structural use, could absorb radar energy and not reflect it. It was only after the 1960s and ’70s, that High-performance composites were developed which could address radar-signature issues effectively.

Flat surfaces reflect radar most effectively, so aircraft designers avoided having any flat parts that were likely to face in the direction of threat radar on the ground or in planes up ahead. Hence, the external shape of a stealth aircraft was either a series of complex large-radius, curved surfaces (as on the B-2) or a large number of small, flat, carefully oriented planes (as on the F-117A). Fuel and ordnance were carried internally, and engine intakes and exhausts were set flush or low to the surface.

The plane's surface was often made of radar-absorbing "fibreglass". Upon hitting these composites, radio waves would be almost converted to heat energy. The F-117A is a stealth aircraft with the radar signature of a small bird rather than an airplane - with the only downside being that when the plane banks, there will often be a moment when one of the panels of the plane will perfectly reflect a burst of radar energy to the antenna.

F 117-A Nighthawk | Wikipedia

Sometimes, radar-absorbing Honeycomb-shaped structures were added beneath the skin to cause radar to bounce around inside the plane, dissipating energy with each bounce.

Other possibilities include the laser radar, which would scan the ground ahead of the craft with a thin, almost undetectable laser beam.

Radar cross-section (RCS) reductions

The possibility of designing aircraft in such a manner as to reduce their radar cross-section was recognized in the late 1930s when the first radar tracking systems were employed.

Conventional Vs Stealth Aircraft Radar Cross Section Signature | Representative | ResearchGate

 The Avro Vulcan, a British bomber of the 1960s, had a remarkably small appearance on the radar despite its large size, and occasionally disappeared from radar screens entirely.

Avro Vulcan | Wikimedia Commons

Heat

Heat-seeking missiles are another threat to aircraft. To avoid detection by these thermal imaging devices, stealthy aircraft must minimize heat emissions. The engine exhaust is a major source of such infrared emissions.

Thermal Imaging of a piston engine | Representative | Aviation Stack Exchange

One possible solution is for the engine intakes and exhausts to be mounted above the wings although it can adversely affect aircraft manoeuvrability. Hence, high-performance fighters like the F/A-22 and the X-35 JSF, which require excellent air combat capability, have their inlets and exhausts located more traditionally.

Lockheed MARTIN X-35 | Wikipedia

Another source of heat is air friction caused by travel at very fast speeds, particularly at the wing's leading edge. This can be countered by pumping cool jet fuel inside the wing around the leading edge, thereby reducing the heat signature

Accoustic Detection

Again, engines are an aircraft's major source of noise, thereby great attention is paid to designing quiet engines. Flying at supersonic speeds can produce the iconic "sonic boom" hence stealthy aircraft may be designed to fly only at subsonic speeds.

Sonic Boom | Representative | BuzzFeed News

That said, higher performance stealth aircraft, like the F/A-22 and X-35, are designed to balance the tradeoffs between extreme stealth and excellent air combat performance.

F 22 Raptor | Hush-Kit

The second-generation stealth aircraft, the U.S. Air Force  F-22 Raptor, for instance, is capable of supercruise, supersonic performance without the use of afterburners.

Did you know? India is now finally getting set to launch its most ambitious, fifth-generation stealth fighter with advanced 'supercruise' capabilities-Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). It will soon join the likes of the American F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning-II Joint Strike Fighter, the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and the Russian Sukhoi-57.

HAL AMCA | Representative | AeroTime Hub

SOURCE(s)

COVER: 19FourtyFive

Vistara is upgrading its fleet of Airbus A321LR aircraft with a satellite-based cockpit connectivity system from Cobham Aerospace.

In emailed statements to Avionics International, representatives for Cobham Aerospace explained that their AVIATOR 200S SwiftBroadband system is being added to four A321LR aircraft operated by the joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines.

Cobham AVIATOR 200S

Vistara's selection of the AVIATOR 200S includes the addition of a Compact Satellite Data Unit (CSDU), Enhanced LGA Antenna with built-in HPA and DLNA (HELGA), and SATCOM Configuration Module (SCM) to their A321LR.

“We are pleased that a prominent international carrier such as Vistara has placed their trust in AVIATOR S. We have every confidence that AVIATOR will exceed performance expectations, leading to even greater market acceptance of this groundbreaking SATCOM system."Eiji Kawaishi, CEO, Cobham Aerospace Communications

Compared to previous generations of aircraft satellite communication systems, "200S offers two segregated aircraft communication domains, an 80-times increase in data-transfer capacity, as well as safety services-approved ACARS and SATVOICE," the company said in a press statement announcing the Vistara selection.

Airbus A321neo

Cobham Aerospace's AVIATOR 200s is has achieved type certification for the Airbus A320 Family, A330, and A350 platforms.

According to Cobham, the AVIATOR 200S combines the provision of SwiftBroadband Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) data services with an Internet Protocol (IP) data pipe for the transfer of operational and flight data to ground maintenance and control facilities, or real-time weather and other flight relevant information updates to Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) or Flight Management Systems (FMS).

Vistara Airbus A321neo

Other features of the system include a Compact Satellite Data Unit (C-SDU) which is deployed with a phased array antenna with built-in Diplexer, Low Noise Amplifier (DLNA), and High Power Amplifier (HPA).

AVIATOR 200S offers interfaces capable of supporting future 4D trajectory-based Operations routing systems for continental (SESAR and NextGen) and oceanic use, according to Cobham.

The cockpit of Airbus A321neo (Image Courtesy - Wikimedia Commons)

"4D Trajectory Guidance is a primary application of interest where Cobham sees significant opportunity for growth in [Air Traffic Control] ATC efficiencies.  It will replace and improve legacy cockpit Safety Services offered by legacy network technology for Safety Voice and CPDLC data for ATC communications. Further applications would include data connectivity driven apps offered on Airbus’ FOMAX Platform," the representative for Cobham said.

The AVIATOR 200S selection for Vistara comes as the airline continues to report ongoing fleet and flight operational expansion. Vinod Kannan took over as CEO of Vistara in January for Leslie Thng, who is taking on a senior role with Singapore Airlines after four years as the CEO of Vistara.

(With Inputs from Aviation Today)

The Union Budget has allocated INR 10,667 crore for the civil aviation ministry for 2022-23, according to the document presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, February 1.

Out of the total allocation, INR 600.7 crore has been earmarked for the regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik), while INR 9,259 crore goes to AI Asset Holdings Limited for servicing the loans transferred to the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the financial restructuring of Air India.

An amount of INR 165 crore has also been set aside for the medical benefits of retired Air India employees, the Budget document said.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with the Union Budget 2022.

Air India was taken over by Tata Group firm Talace on January 27. Through a competitive bidding process, the government sold loss-making Air India to Talace for INR 18,000 crore. As part of the deal, Talace paid INR 2,700 crore in cash and took over the INR 15,300 crore debt of the airline. The remaining debt and borrowings of Air India were transferred to AIAHL.

As of August 31, 2021, Air India had a total debt of INR 61,562 crore. The airline also had about INR 15,000 crore excess liabilities towards unpaid fuel bills and other operational creditors.

According to the budget document, the government infused INR 36,254 crore in AIAHL during 2021-22 "for repayment of past government-guaranteed borrowings of Air India Limited".

Air India was taken over by Tata Group firm Talace on January 27.

Further, the government put in INR 12,357 crore equity in AIAHL in 2021-22 "for repayment of past government-guaranteed borrowings (lease rental for aircraft) of Air India Limited", as per the document.

Last fiscal, it also infused Rs 13,446 crore equity in AIAHL for repayment of past dues/ liabilities of Air India. The total equity infusion in AIAHL was Rs 62,057 crore in 2021-22.

In 2021-22, the civil aviation ministry was allocated INR 3,224 crore, however, the government incurred high expenses during the divestment of Air India and, as a result, the revised expense for the civil aviation ministry during 2021-22 stood at INR 72,652 crore.

Out of the total revised figure for 2021-22, the allocation towards Air India loans, grants in aid to Air India for cash losses during the COVID period and towards Air India Assets Holding Company for re-payment of dues and borrowings of the airline stood at INR 68,501 crore.

In 2021-22, the civil aviation ministry was allocated INR 3,224 crore.

In the Budget for 2021-22, the government had allocated INR 600 crore for the UDAN scheme, but the total expenditure rose to INR 994 crore.

While the finance minister did mention that airports would power the economic growth as a part of the PM Gati Shakti programme, she did not share any details on how this would be achieved.

The government also did not come out with any measures such as a cut in the excise duty charged on aviation turbine fuel, to help airlines grappling with high operating costs.

ALSO READ - IndiGo expected a reduction in excise duty on jet fuel in Union Budget 2022

Budget carrier IndiGo termed the Union Budget 2022-23 as “growth-oriented” while expecting a cut in the excise duty on jet fuel. Ronojoy Dutta, Whole-Time Director and CEO, IndiGo said that they were expecting tax concessions to the aviation industry in the form of a cut in ATF (Aviation Turbine Fuel) excise duty and the allocation of concessional finance to airlines to help us come out of the pandemic.

ALSO READ - Aviation Turbine Fuel prices rise by a whopping 8.5% to new highs

To make things trickier, the Indian government announced a price hike on ATF by up to 8.5%, just ahead of the budget. ATF price has gone up to INR 86,038.16 per kiloliter (kl) in the national capital region, the highest ever. Price hikes like these are usually passed down to passengers, reflecting on their ticket prices.

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.496.0_en.html#goog_1210032461Click To UnMuteWhile most airlines and airport operators in India have hailed the government's call to develop infrastructure and increased capital expenditure allocation, most of them were also disappointed with no support from the government for the sector.“We were expecting tax concession for the aviation industry in the forms of a cut in ATF excise duty and allocation of concessional finance to airlines to help us come out of the pandemic,” IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said in a statement after Sitharaman's Budget speech.

While it is known that air freight is faster and safer than transporting via water, it is never cheap and often comes at a hefty price. Ocean freight, on the other hand, is a more affordable option while offering more capacity at the same time. Consequently, it always boils down to calculation and cost comparison before choosing the right mode of shipment.

Natilus, a Californian startup, is reinventing the 75-year-old status quo of freight transportation through innovation and advanced technologies, to make air freight costs competitive to cargo shipping and dramatically improve delivery times.

The company has designed and developed a blended-wing, autonomous global air freight system touted to pack in 60% more cargo than an aircraft of the same size.

sUAS News

Tech and spec(s)

The model, dubbed as "The Natilus N3.8T", has a range of 1,667 km (1,035 miles) and will be capable of carrying loads of up to 3,855 kg (8,500 lb) and have enough space for far more cargo inside than a traditional aircraft of the same weight.

Representative | Natilus

The use of standardized containers (LD3) is one of the UAV’s features, along with a blended wing-body design and remote piloting.

It will be the first model to roll off the rank for Natilus and will have an MTOW of 8,618 kg (19,000 lb).

Maximum Efficiency : With an enhanced aerodynamic profile, the design would operate with 50% less CO2.  

60% more cargo : With a design centred around cargo, the patent-pending ‘Diamond’ cargo-bay offers an efficient blended wing body configuration that allows for 60% more volume. Additionally, the aircraft can hold a large configuration of standard pallets, outsized cargo, and without a contouring requirement-all with a remote pilot watching over.

Natilus

'Fly-by-Mouse' Autopilot : Natilus FAA certifiable autopilot allows air freight operators to scale with Natilus products, thereby also addressing pilot shortages in the aviation industry.

Natilus

From a freight perspective, it makes a lot sense. It has 50 percent more volume internally, so it doubles the amount of revenue cargo per flight. With conventional designs you start to run out volume before you maximize the takeoff weight of the airplane.Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and Co-Founder, Natilus

Natilus is using Siemens NX™products to support product development from concept through manufacturing and certification. Using NX™ products allows Natilus engineers to reduce its development times for the groundbreaking Blended Wing Body (BWB) prototype by half.

Volatus Aerospace, whose activities range from UAV sales, pilot training, specialized public safety services, drone delivery, and other enterprise operations, has secured delivery of next-generation Natilus long-distance cargo drones, with the first production run of the craft expected in 2025.

SOURCE(s)

COVER: New Atlas

Budget carrier IndiGo termed the Union Budget 2022-23 as "growth-oriented" while expecting a cut in the excise duty on jet fuel.

"Budget 2022-23 appears to be growth-oriented by an increase in the capital outlay of INR 7.5 lakh crore, fiscal deficit capped at 6.4% and efforts are being made to reduce compliance burdens and improve ease of doing business.We expect the Budget would enable India to achieve a growth estimate of 9.2%.Having said that, we were expecting tax concessions to the aviation industry in the forms of cut in ATF (aviation turbine fuel) excise duty and the allocation of concessional finance to airlines to help us come out of the pandemic."Ronojoy Dutta, Whole-Time Director and CEO, IndiGo

Welcoming the new incentives of issuing e-passports and the introduction of digital currency, Dutta said the government’s "relentless" focus on the national transportation infrastructure development with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will strengthen the much-needed multimodal connectivity.

Also, besides facilitating the seamless movement of cargo, the plan will reduce logistics costs as well, he added.

IndiGo expected a reduction in excise duty on jet fuel in Union Budget 2022

Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget Speech on Tuesday, February 1 said the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development and is driven by seven engines including roads, railways, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways and logistics infrastructure.

All seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison, Sitharaman said while presenting the Budget for 2022-23. These engines are supported by the complementary roles of energy transmission, information technology communication, bulk water and sewerage and social infrastructure.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday, February 1 received three of the last four Rafale fighter jets. The fighter planes were handed over by France at the Istres-Le Tube airbase of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation which is situated northwest of Marseille.

After this, the IAF will wait for the right opportunity to take the fighter jets to India between February 15 and 20. According to people aware of the developments, the handed over planes will now be test-checked for all the details. The fighter jets are expected to arrive in India between February 15 and 16, the people cited above said.

IAF will wait for the right opportunity to take the fighter jets to India between February 15 and 20.

According to a report by The Hindustan Times when the Rafale jets will fly out of France, these fighter jets will receive mid-air refuelling by the air force of India’s close ally, the United Arab Emirates, using Airbus multi-role transport tankers.

These Rafale fighter jets are fully equipped with India specific enhancements, which will give them extra teeth to fight any regional adversary.

The last fighter jet is nearly ready with fresh paint and enhancements but will arrive in April due to the reasons best known to IAF.

Rafale jets will get mid-air refuelling by UAE Air Force.

The last of the 36 contracted fighters from France is actually the first fighter used for training IAF personnel after the deliveries started from France. This fighter was inspected by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at the Istres airbase during his visit to France for a high-level defence dialogue in December 2021.

Although IAF remains tight-lipped over what India specific enhancements are on Rafale, it is learnt that these relate to long-range Meteor air-to-air missile, low band frequency jammers, advanced communication systems, more capable radio altimeter, radar warning receiver, high altitude engine start-up, synthetic aperture radar, ground moving target indicator and tracking, missile approach warning systems and very high-frequency range decoys.

IAF receives 3 Rafale fighter jets with India-specific upgrades from France

On the arrival of the fighter jets, the IAF will test the specific enhancements to their satisfaction under Indian conditions apart from verifying the original equipment manufacturers claims as per agreement.

After this, work will begin in retrofitting the remaining 32 aircraft at Ambala in the western sector and Hashimara airbase in the eastern sector with the India specific enhancements with all the related equipment already with the IAF. The upgradation exercise will be carried out at Ambala airbase which has the maintenance cum repair set up for Rafale fighters in India.

(With Inputs from The Hindustan Times)