China Claims Radars Detecting US Stealth Fighters

As geopolitical tensions continue to escalate around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, a new report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP) has revealed a potential seismic development in China’s efforts to counter US stealth fighter jets. According to simulations conducted by Chinese military researchers, the country’s radars may be able to detect advanced aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II at ranges of up to 180 kilometers, compromising their stealth capabilities.

The simulations, presented at the 36th China Simulation Conference in October, were led by project engineer Cao Wei from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) National Defense University’s College of Joint Operations and the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Game in Beijing. The research suggests that China has made significant strides in developing anti-stealth technologies, which could have far-reaching implications for the US military’s ability to project air power in the region.

According to the SCMP report, the simulation modeled a US attack on Shanghai from Japan, and the results indicate that the F-35’s “beast mode” which allows for longer-range missile attacks sacrifices the aircraft’s stealth, making it detectable from up to 450 kilometers away. The researchers used an algorithm to convert radar data into detection ranges and warning times, suggesting the findings could be conservative due to the limited number of radars used in the simulation.

These developments come amid increased US deployment of F-22s in Japan, heightening Chinese interest in countering stealth threats. Stealth aircraft like the F-22 and F-35 are expected to play a critical role in any US and allied response to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, leveraging their air superiority and precision strike capabilities to secure airspace control over the Taiwan Strait.

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However, the US’s numerical advantage in fifth-generation fighters may be eroded by China’s advancements, including the development of cost-effective radar systems that can detect stealth aircraft using signals from the BeiDou navigation satellite system. This could pose a significant challenge to the US’s conventional deterrence posture in the Pacific, as the vulnerability of US air assets on the ground also raises concerns about their ability to withstand a potential Chinese pre-emptive strike.

The revelations about China’s radar capabilities underscore the country’s growing technological prowess and the increasing complexity of the geopolitical landscape in the Asia-Pacific region. As the US and its allies work to maintain their military edge, the race to develop and deploy effective counter-stealth technologies will likely become a critical focus of strategic competition between the two superpowers.

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