Chinese scientists claim a stratospheric balloon equipped with an advanced infrared detection system can identify stealth aircraft like the F-35 from nearly 2,000 km away.
Researchers at the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP), believed to be a key player in China’s missile and space programs, analyzed the F-35’s infrared signature in simulated combat scenarios involving Taiwan. The study was published in the Chinese-language journal Aerospace Technology , according to the South China Morning Post today, February 11.
US-made F-35 stealth fighter
The team found that while the F-35's exterior and radar-absorbent coating are cooled to an average temperature of 281 degrees Kelvin (7.85 degrees Celsius), making it evasive to conventional detection methods, the aircraft's engine exhaust, which reaches nearly 1,000 degrees Kelvin, emits much stronger medium-wave infrared radiation than the airframe.
By focusing on the 2.8-4.3 micrometer wavelength range, where atmospheric interference is minimal, and deploying mercury-cadmium-telluride detectors and 300mm aperture telescopes, the unmanned balloon hovering at an altitude of 20km can detect the rear heat signature of an F-35 from more than 1,800km away when the stealth fighter is viewed from the side or rear.
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However, frontal detection is still limited to a range of 350 km due to the F-35's reduced frontal thermal profile.
Still, the discovery reveals a potential flaw in America's fifth-generation stealth technology and marks a significant step forward in China's pursuit of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities, according to the South China Morning Post .
There is currently no information on the US response to the above research.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trung-quoc-phat-hien-duoc-chien-dau-co-tang-hinh-f-35-tu-xa-2000-km-185250211145048268.htm
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