The Endless Technological War Between Spear and Shield

The F-117A, regarded as the second generation of stealth technology

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Countries around the world are engaged in an invisible war over radar technology used to detect enemies and stealth technology designed to avoid detection by enemies. The evolution of spear and shield technologies is a key factor that determines the outcome of wars.

The first country to develop radar was the United Kingdom. In 1935, the British Air Ministry asked Robert Watson-Watt, who was working at a meteorological research institute, "Is there a way to strike an aircraft using radio wave transmitters?"

Watson-Watt, noting that radio waves and light share similar properties, invented a device that could not strike an aircraft but could measure its location, direction of movement, and speed. The device sent radio waves into the sky, which reflected off metallic objects and were detected to be displayed on a monitor. The test was a great success. It accurately detected aircraft at a distance of 60 km and an altitude of 300 meters, prompting the UK to install the devices along coastal areas. The technology proved effective in actual combat as well. In August 1940, hundreds of German Luftwaffe planes were dispatched to bomb the UK, but all crashed before reaching British airspace. The US military also used this technology to develop equipment and coined the term RADAR.

Radar was first deployed in Korea during the Korean War. In December 1952, a UN Air Force spokesperson briefed that "Radar equipment detected Communist MiG jets approaching Seoul, about 40 km south of the front line, and immediately intercepted them."

As radar development accelerated, technologies to evade radar detection also began to emerge. During the Vietnam War, the US was taken aback when B-52 bombers were intercepted by Soviet surface-to-air missiles. Consequently, from the mid-1970s, the US secretly began developing stealth aircraft. Lockheed Martin formed the Skunk Works development team and developed a prototype called ‘Have Blue.’ Based on this prototype, the stealth bomber ‘F-117 Nighthawk’ was born.

The F-117 with stealth capabilities had a brilliant career. It participated in the 1989 Panama invasion, the Gulf War, the Yugoslavian airstrikes, and the Afghanistan War. In the Gulf War, considered the F-117’s debut, it outsmarted Iraqi air defenses and bombed over 1,600 critical targets. Since then, the core stealth technology known as Radar Cross Section (RCS) has further evolved. RCS refers to the value of electromagnetic waves emitted by radar that bounce back after hitting an object. RCS data is used to identify aircraft types and respond accordingly.

Stealth technology reduces the RCS value, confusing the enemy. The stealth bomber B-1B, nicknamed the ‘Death Swan,’ measures 44 meters in length and 41 meters in wingspan but has an RCS of only 10 square meters. The stealth bomber B-2, which is 20.9 meters long and 52.1 meters wide, has an RCS of 0.75 square meters, making it appear as a ‘large bird.’ Stealth fighters F-35A and F-22 have RCS values of 0.001 and 0.0001 square meters respectively, making them appear like ‘golf balls.’ This means they cannot be detected by conventional radar during surprise attacks in enemy territory.

To complement stealth capabilities, special radar-absorbent paint was also developed. Known as stealth paint, the F-22 and F-35 feature special coatings and composite exterior materials infused with graphite that absorb radar waves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.