Moscow, January 20th. /Nicolai Novichkov, ITAR-TASS information agency/Russian Scientists Created Revolutionary Low Observability Technologies
Research team of the Recearch Center named
after M.V. Keldysh has developed new technologies allowing dramatic
decrease in aircrafts' radar observability. Russian approach to low observability
(LO) technologies is completely different from US Stealth and offers complete
furtiveness of the protected object at a significantly lower price. An
exclusive interview about these technologies was conducted by Nicolai Novichkov,
ITAR-TASS with director of the Center, academic of Russian
Scientific Academy Anatoliy Korteev.
As academic explained, American approach to LO (Stealth
technology) applied on B-2, F-117A, and fifth generation fighter F-22 "Raptor"
is based on the following principles. The airframes of these aircrafts
are designed to minimize their radar cross section (RCS), avoid all possible
elements of the structure, which could reflect electromagnetic radiation.
In order to minimize reflected radiation radio absorbing materials (RAM)
are also applied to the surface of the structure. The main drawbacks of
the Stealth technology are its negative effects on the flight and agility
characteristics of the stealth aircrafts.
Russian scientists approache the issue from the
other direction. They proposed to create a plasma formation around protected
object, which prevents radars from seeing it. Thus, aerodynamical characteristics
of the plane itself do not suffer. Without interfereing with technical
characteristics the artaficially created plasma cloud surrounding the plane
guarantees more than hundred times decrease in its observability.
The physics of plasma protection can be described
as following. If an object is surrounded by a cloud of plasma, several
phenomenas are observed when the cloud interacts with electromagnetic waves
radiated by enemy radar. First, an absorption of electromagnetic energy
occurs in the cloud, since during plasma penetration it interacts with
plasma charged particles, pass onto them a portion of its energy, and fades.
Second, due to specific physical processes, electromagnetic wave tends
to pass around plasma cloud. Both of these phenomenas results in dramatic
decrease of the reflected signal.
Static and flight experiments proved the effectiveness
of this technology. The first generation devices, producing plasma field
surrounding an aircraft and decreasing reflected signal were created in
the Center. Later, a possibily of creating second generation advanced systems
(capable of not only decreasing reflected signal and changing its wavelength,
but also producing some false signals) was discovered. Such systems significantly
complicate determination of actual aircraft's speed, its location and leads
to development of completely new approaches to LO provision, unachievable
to conventional Stealth technology. Furthermore, the weight of the systems
developed in Russia do not exeed 100 kg, and power consumption ranges from
kilowatts to tens of kilowatts.
Advances in development of the third generation
LO systems allowed to clear the systems of first and second generation
for export, commented academic Anatoliy Korteev.
26/01/99
(c) ITAR-TASS,
Translation by Philip Kaploun.