An interesting F-22 RCS versus Frequency Plot

I ran across the website and saw someone posted the F-22 RCS versus freuqency plot. I thought it's kind of interesting.

It reminds me of the diode plot. Able to clamp the voltage at 0.7V. After that
it starts to breakdown. It's law of physics.

The F-22 patterns after the spherical shape. But there's plenty of non-spherical areas like its vertical tail, it's inlet, . those little imperfections will get exposed if outside of its engineering spec.

to me, it's kind of make sense, every product has its limitation. it can only works for certain range of voltage and frequency. Outside of engineering spec, it won't work.

Law of physics.

I wonder how credible the source is... one would think such information would be kept highly classified.

X band should be 8 to 12 GHz. This is the common range for fighter radar. 2 to 8 GHz is C and S band, which is the common range for AEW (S band, 2-4GHz) and SAM fire control radars (C band, 4 to 8 GHz). A few fire control radars, mainly short range gun control radars, use the Ku-K-Ka bands. The chart is based on the rather obvious information that you should be stealthy against AEW, SAM and fighter radars.

I think we have covered the frequency range vs. stealth topics before in this forum all in different threads.

The actual number is not too important.
But do you think that's an actual breakdown point for the plane? maybe 14Ghz, maybe 20Ghz? 25Ghz?

but there got to be a breakdown point! law of physics. Can't be violated!

I think if a plane can carry an overkilled very high frequency radar maybe like a 30Ghz, which way out of normal tracking radar commonly used. I will not surprised if F-22's RCS will shot up dramatically.

antimatter said:

The actual number is not too important.
But do you think that's an actual breakdown point for the plane? maybe 14Ghz, maybe 20Ghz? 25Ghz?

but there got to be a breakdown point! law of physics. Can't be violated!

I think if a plane can carry an overkilled very high frequency radar maybe like a 30Ghz, which way out of normal tracking radar commonly used. I will not surprised if F-22's RCS will shot up dramatically.

Click to expand...

But then such a radar would require a ton of power, so the aircraft would likely be bigger than a Boeing 747 in order to carry all the power generators and the fuel needed...

Edit: It would also be incredibly short ranged as well...

Pointblank said:

But then such a radar would require a ton of power, so the aircraft would likely be bigger than a Boeing 747 in order to carry all the power generators and the fuel needed...

Edit: It would also be incredibly short ranged as well...

Click to expand...

isn't the AWACS has the size of 747? I heard even the jet fighter's AESA has the power to burn down other plane. The AWACS AESA should be pretty long range. I guess.

antimatter said:

isn't the AWACS has the size of 747? I heard even the jet fighter's AESA has the power to burn down other plane. The AWACS AESA should be pretty long range. I guess.

Click to expand...

The power generation unit ALONE would take up a 747 or two for the radar to be of any practical use, let alone the fuel needed to power it. Radars of the 20-30GHz range are incredibly short-ranged; you would probably SEE the F-22 visually before you actually pick one up on such a radar...

AESA is not the cure all for radars; they offer better resolution, redundancy, and high ECM resistance. Not power.

Pointblank said:

The power generation unit ALONE would take up a 747 or two for the radar to be of any practical use, let alone the fuel needed to power it. Radars of the 20-30GHz range are incredibly short-ranged; you would probably SEE the F-22 visually before you actually pick one up on such a radar...
.

Click to expand...

I am not sure about power it needed but the radar the astronomer used are incredibly far. They are into hundred of Ghz. So, I don't think 30 Ghz radar is too short range.

Observation Type: Galactic, extragalactic, spectral line, continuum
Frequency band(s):
250 GHz
350 GHz
450 GHz
650 GHz
850 GHz

antimatter said:

I am not sure about power it needed but the radar the astronomer used are incredibly far. They are into hundred of Ghz. So, I don't think 30 Ghz radar is too short range.

Observation Type: Galactic, extragalactic, spectral line, continuum
Frequency band(s):
250 GHz
350 GHz
450 GHz
650 GHz
850 GHz

Click to expand...

Look at the power source. They are hooked up to a electrical grid which can supply tons of power with no size or weight constraint. An airborne radar is limited by the max size of the generator that can be carried by an airplane.

Since those hundred of Ghz astronomoy ground based radar can go across intergalactic. maybe it can modified to be track F-22 and guide the missile.
I am sure F-22 will not be stealthy against a 200Ghz military modified astronomy radar.

Missile guided by Ground based asronomy radar against F-22. That's an idea!