RE: [Fwd: flanker New China Radar technology threatens US Stealth Aircraft!]

On Tue, 30 Nov 1999, Steve Gill wrote:

> It was a Rapier, but it wasn't an airshow and the F117 was tracked
from well
> before visual contact was possible.

Had it been prepped for combat? If not, then it may have had a 
transponder active and that is what the Blindfire was picking up on. I 
guarantee that if the bad guys had blindfire radar vans, they'd be prime

targets for ALARMs, HARMs, Shrikes, SideARMs, and Standard ARMS. I'm
sure 
GEC Marconi has provisions for ALARM to attack Blindfire sets. 

> You appear to be pretty much agreeing with me about the uses of the
F117, or
> are you implying the stealth capability would give it an advantage in
direct
> battlefield support?

The F-117 isn't a battle field support aircraft. That will be JSF. Which

given the idea its not going to be uber stealthy, rather mostly 
stealthy, it will still be more challenging to hit with ground fire than

an F-15E. 

The way people are stating stealth is a waste of money, you'd think 
they'd be asking us to go back to slab sided wing roots and straight
intake inlets.	Stealth is about reducing RCS. The more you can 
reduce that Radar Cross section, the harder it will be for the bad guys 
to get a firing solution if at all depending on the range. In the case
of 
the F22, if it means it will be less visible at long range, then the 
Fighter Jock will have an easier time hitting you before you can hit
him. 

Combine properly used stealth and organized SEAD missions, and it will
be 
hell for the badguys. 

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- Ryan Montieth Gill	  NRA / DoD# 0780 (Smug #1) / AMA / SOHC -
- ryan.gill@turner.com	    I speak not for CNN, nor they for me -
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