"World's Best Air Defenses Still Can't Hit Stealth ?" Topic

"Despite the loud and fast-growing chorus of analysts, critics and weapons developers who continue to raise the question as to whether stealth technology may slowly be becoming obsolete, some senior weapons developers are citing some ways current and emerging stealth platforms will – for years to come – remain very difficult to destroy……"
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Amicalement
Armand

Ironically, you get back to the oldest anti-aircraft missile seeker methods being the most effective against modern stealth: Command-guided from the ground.

Like the Vietnamese 'couldn't hit US bombers' – they just turned off the radar and fired blind, and managed to hit some bombers.

It can actually be pretty basic, some audio detectors (very 1900's) to get a general direction and then just fire LOTS of conventional munitions. You can get lots of very basic artillery shells for the cost of one SAM.

Ian Hogg claimed that there had been German studies in WW2 that suggested just using impact fused shells rather than time fused and firing faster because you didn't have to set the timer would actually increase the chance of a hit, and be cheaper per round.

Those Stealth bombers are still cruising at 45,000ft. Takes one heck of a gun to reach 15km straight up!

I should note that attempting command guidance from the ground gives a potential counter, since you can jam a radio command link. Wire guidance (or fiber-optic) can't reach more than 5-6km. Laser guidance is almost impossible, since the long-wave radars can't point precisely enough.

Front door

That's the marketing department's claim, but I'm not so sure, especially against some nations, like Russia and China that have access to the older, long-wave radar systems, so the stealth aircraft can at least be localized.

I suspect, if they can get, or have aircraft aloft, that with I/R detectors, especially from the rear quarter, or rear arcs, they can be found, and shot down.

Stealth jets try to minimize their heat signatures too, but I imagine doing so may be more difficult than covering up their radar signatures.

In fact, they even have to fly slower (sub-sonic), in order to avoid having their wings and other forward fuselage/tail surfaces light up like a Christmas tree from the heat buildup at higher speeds (supersonic).

Some of the newer I/R missiles, and thermal detectors may have quite a good range, so getting them into the ballpark with their L/R radars may be good enough to at least permit them to be engaged, if not actually shot down.

If/when they can be found, WVR weapons may really create a serious danger to them, especially for less capable F-35 stealth jets, and our B-2 bombers.

Sadly, sensors, weapons, and stealth capabilities are classified for us wargamers, but I'll bet our enemies' military personnel have a lot of this info at their fingertips, which makes classifying a lot of it rather moot.