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Stealth is the act of moving undetected. It is a concept as old as warfare itself.
However, as technologies became more advanced, it took much more effort to be stealthy. Wearing camouflage and being quiet usually sufficed during ancient times; however, today it takes considerably more technique and technology to remain hidden from one’s enemies.
Currently, the world is in an arms race, and stealth is the primary focus. Below are five stealth technology weapons that are currently under development. These weapons take the idea of stealth to a whole new level. When these technologies hit the battlefield, they are certain to change the way military operations are conducted.
Amazing Stealth Technology
Hypersonics. The idea of traveling 20 times the speed of sound (Mach 20) to avoid detection is a concept that has been studied since the 1970s. Currently under research by DARPA, this technology would also allow the U.S. military to be anywhere in the world in under an hour. (1)
Though traveling at such speed provides a series of benefits, it also poses some pretty serious questions, two of which are in thermodynamics and aerodynamics. Traveling at mach 20 creates a huge amount of heat, heat that could melt the aircraft itself. It is also very difficult to control an aircraft at that speed. In the field of aerodynamics, scientists have been studying the possibility of adding stabilizers to provide for better control.
The infrared Invisibility Cloak. French researchers announced that they are studying a slightly different type of invisibility cloak than what you might have seen in the movies. This technology would shield one’s body heat from infrared sensors, effectively making them invisible to infrared cameras. The idea is to alternate concentric rings of differing materials that diffuse body heat at differing rates.
Sebastien Guenneau of the the University of Aix-Marseille, the team lead of the project, told Discovery News, “The underlying idea is to guide heat around the region which you’d like to protect from thermal flux.” (2)
Currently, the research is being conducted using computer models and appears that it would require the use of exotic materials, known as meta-materials. However, it seems that becoming invisible to infrared sensors is theoretically possible.
Plasma Stealth Technology. Also knows as Active Stealth Technology, is the process of using plasma to reduce the overall radar cross section of an aircraft. This technology appears to have been originally researched by the Russians as a result of the Sputnik launch.
The idea is to envelop an aircraft in a cloud of plasma or have layer of plasma across the surface of an aircraft. This layer of plasma would then make the aircraft invisible to radar due to the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and the ionized gas.
In 1999, a group of Russian scientists claimed to have built a plasma generator that was light enough to incorporate into a fighter jet. (3)
The Next Big Thing
Taranis. Taranis is being touted as the next big thing when it comes to stealth technology in the U.K. According to a BAE Systems press release:
“The aim of the Taranis concept is to see if an autonomous and stealthy unmanned aircraft capable of striking targets with real precision at long range, even in another continent, is even possible.” (4)
The aircraft is designed to operate without the need for human control for most of its mission. Its smaller size and use of stealth technology (similar to the American B-2 Spirit) make this drone nearly impossible to detect by radar. Test flights are to be held in 2013.
DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer. The U.S. Navy Battle cruiser proves that stealth technology is not just for aircraft and people. This technology can also be applied to marine craft.
The Zumwalt was designed for near–shore operations, but has weapon systems for undersea attacks, anti-ship weapons, and long-range missiles. Not only does the Zumwalt boast an impressive array of weapons, but the stealth technology used in its construction gives the ship “very low radar, infrared, and acoustic signatures.” (5)
According to Raytheon, these low signatures are because of IDHA (Integrated Composite Deckhouse & Apertures). Meaning the ship was constructed of composite materials and consists of an angular design to reduce radar reflectivity.
Stealth Technology advances such as those listed above, though not all implemented in the field quite yet, could very well change the way wars are fought in the near future.
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