want to snare a stealth

bomber? use your

one
WhoopsI Phone signals may unmask a
$40 billion flying secret. By Bill Sweetman
DRIVING HOME FADM WOAK, YOU SUDDENLY REMEMBER THAT A
few of the Tball kids are supposed to come over after the game.
Should you pick up a couple of pizzas on your way? You pull
out your cellular phone and call home to check.
ILLUSTRATION LUa... LUKOVA
Eight miln above you. .. nil
unhurt!, J. fl..l bombo:r i! CruiJing
IlO<lIl on lllrar;tiCt nul.. pilot
lnat evtn radill' can't del(d hi, plaru., but
he', 'WfOrIg_ Thai CElli making. alnng
with 'hou,ands of other Innocent cell-
phone oonvelliu ions taldng pJ.ce 1l1llJV1lr
lown, hils inadvertently unmasked the
bomber-defeating st&llth tl"duJology thai
0011 140 billion to dewlap.
At Ih.lt is 1M claim foecentiy lTUlde
by I\oke MoiIlJO[ Jl.exvdl ... small
insllrUII:' an 18505 man"..
in a 'lulrl Engll!h towrL Rob- Manor,a sub-
sidiary of the GcrUWI dectronia industry
giant Siemem.llII!lOWlCed earlier this feU
!hat its had air-
crafl By listening for the
01 cellpoofR' J;ignah bouncing off a J;lealth
plane, lhe liay, it's possible nOI
only to deleel ,he pl.1m but ;I!.w 10;>
its location.
a"h"''''lionll .a.1IT woru by >inlillg I
powerrlll radio beam II the sky and
ing for the rcflectKJns from flying objectll.
HUIloday we live in a 6e3 of ,adio WIlVes
til". are wnlim>Q\,Isly lxolldcut from <.>ell-
plo(>r'\e lr;lf\!rl'IIHtl1. 'Jl(J
Olher sources. Wilh Ihls wlrelC$$ revolu-
lio;>" hu come I polential new spy 1001:.
udar syslem. (hi ex,.,1(IIt, rillo.llo)
signw ratlW'!r tha... il$ own.
The Roke engineers came lip wi,h the
idea for their r:ellph.one-ba.l.ed radar il5
5Omethi"l!" of iI. Lark.. rwe were brain5lOCm.-
in!: blue-5ly i!ieilS; l1'Cil!I.o; nlililaging direc-
tor P.aul Stine. Can the 5ystem thaI
hom the bninltorming session
prove bettt:r than Ir<lditioll.lLl radar ill
detecting ,thh Ptmibly. blltlhe
haven't yel buill" worl:.lng
modd, and IIOll'lle pert. question the sys-
tem's prKlical military "alue,since amly:z.
irog cellphone edJocs accurately a nl)'
tricky busines.'l.
Modern warfare hn been shaped to I
lug" eXtI'llI by r8dar. B.elore radol, th..re
was no way 10 dete<:t bomboers ulllll they
were llolualiy o"erh"ad. SUI in lhe .93....
Brililh @l[po;ri""""llUthal
.;hiIInp:! a1llhat_and t"" (of WMM
War II, When thl" Luftwaffe bombed lon-
don in 1940, the Brltiah 5Ilw!hem roming.
thanh to radar beams thaI 5wep1 lhe skies:
.md OOounced off any inooming plane,
It wn th,e ..1 (of o;Ieeao;loet-IQll8 (al_
.. game D".v.ftn ai.plallt_"S ami, adar. Early
tln. trietllo canwuflagr airplanes using
pal illS and roal ings, II dilin'l worl:. In 1958,
Ihe Cl .... senl a camouflagl'<i U'l un a spy flight
KrU05 R\.Ls5ia.....uached 10 l\.Lb5lO<luellt
nole from Moscow wu a delalled radar plot <:if the
airplane's night pilh.
Sevenleen later, teams nl Skurlk
Worb 1nd Nonh.op cr1cked The problem. There
was no polm I ')'lnK 10 oill1ll;llJll.agll a
realized. they I,..d
lo ("me "II with an e'lti.\!ly new "r
wonltl OQl fI,n..,.;t r,"lio signals. te(rel,
lnd,hel'('\ enginel!f Alan Bmwn
III design a VI'lry !:>ad anumn" and mal:e IT fly.
In lhe "yl!:!i of an Iht! nrst .IUC-
sl""lIh alrpla.ne. LocldILw, Hilvt!: BIU<l proto-
Iyp.;. wu 11 ntUJUIN. The lilultifa.::rted
plill...e had ,iO cur",-,d s"d",e"'j;, "'''/'!II on lh", ..... Ing,
.....h.I.::h ""as a"'gled i)al:k IU ,harply Tilat thf: .::u!l
euuld barely get uff thl"g.oomL But allihal ,eally
malleled was lhal 10 a radar Ihe 6ton jel
loolffi no Ihan a hird
Ha.ve Illue took advantage of Ihe flct thlt lhe
rll'.l.,11 !Yl't...llU 'If the ti""e _I'll monOlltatic, meaning
ttm lhey employed., anl<,nnll both TO tnns-
mil r::Klar signals and 10 listen for lheir echoes. The
odd caused r,u:hr signal. to scatler.
of bouncing lJ..r.k r!}Wa.d lhe
The operation.al SleaJrb pbnm;-Ihv 1''17
NiGhthawk a,..l rh" g.] Spi.il, 1><)11. I...
tht 19e1oo.-,elied Oil th", urne prln.::lplc_ Their
IIpper alld luwer slIrfoces dellet-1 Tar1lIr 1"lleI'
gy upward (Jr OOwllward. away frolll lhe .ada,
311....,lna. nIl' F-l '7 allrl 81 alw ha".,., long, .Iraight
edllt'& Ihlt focul rad-lr reflectioJns into Ii nSle, con
HOW STEALTH
EVADES fl,t,OAR
_.neraIIr, UlrIIlMSl
'"":llo .. boUi. """""
w _. _ ,
lilt .. "".....
IIot ;l<Oo 1>0 looIooJ b7 _
IIlonn l_
I,.n,
.,,,,,
cellinii'd beams, Th... way Ihe plane's e.lges a.e
angled. the t..ams 6h(U\ off to Ihe side, than
dirl'l:lly !Mek al tire 3nlenna thaI lne
But Ihough steallh airtnft can fool mQnuotatic
r.dan, they may not be It good at fooling SQ-'Cilled
histatic r.>dar, a Sf5lem;n which the Transmitter and
rec:eiver are in locaTions 8eeause a
bistill ie SY5tem doc'5 nol on iI single a'llenna, II
'''''y be ablt) IU I>id: "I' '"""... ofthe .adio lh.,
"'-0: Jc;lllerer:l by il plane. And a steallh
pia"." w,nlun:.J betweeil I bi>talie ly.trll'l 'j; .t!erhlcr
1'1d transmlll.::r, In", sys.",m may e...en dete.::t Ihe
e'NIe<! when lhl- airplanr bIocb the r.tdar
lleam.lYIUl1l ....lp"TIS agree Ihal ronYentional
ai,craft will look diff...rent and polioSibly Imgt'r un a
bi&latic rlldar
In this game of cat-and-mouse, radars
may have a new edge over spy planes.
1(i1"wn huIl()r'Ig igrlr).-..d, radlf bttfl
il<;lling a seo:trnd In Y":Ir:l. For'
bislatlc radiU' ClRIk! poIel1tlally ellable Ih.., u.s. mil.
itary 10 Spol and lrTl(;k enemy airc",fl wilh gU'ilter
precision. The sys1em mighl COnSiST of" cenlra)
sllrv...illa'lCl" air<.:raft o;;arryilll! .. 11<11\1
miller. u well U i>'ilveril ,mill, unm,nned cntfl
carrying radar The lr..nsm;Her plane
could hang b>w:k while plane
venlured far ;nto enemy terrilory.
Slill ffiOflOI>18.ic radar retains oome ;lIlvillltageL
!'or e>:amllle. la.gel Wli..,n wilh IllOlKlSralic ..,;lar
U ,""ap: Oue" a been delcelcd :liun"lE--
where ale.ill! the nlrrow bf,.. m of Ihe ,adl', [I')
simply a mailer of me.1JUling lhe time Ihal ela!M'l."'
ootWi.'\ln :;endin!: a r"clio signal and delecling liS
<:eho. Since lhoo spcrd.t which radio w....". tra...d
tllIt>Ullh the aIIllO!ipl\l!ll! 11 I..nown. il'i lu
eakula.", th" of lill! pl.. rle. .a<lar,
by eolllrasl, muSI ",mploy wphistielu...l oomputer
arlal)"!l! III perlor", tlii. basic lasl:.
I
i
: GWS..lJI-
. Iit. .......
on. I




......
Pood 'PJ 0IIII.

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!

THE LATEST TtlREAT Ttl STEALTtl PLANES

11'11 0"_"'. _ ... try _1laW-
.. 010<_........ .",to'll .. _ .. .
A NEW TYPE OF RADAR
puTS STEALTH TO THE TEST
trmlk ,.odor, wtri<ll sU<.. lI'IIlAMrittir
,0<1 "doff_oI Ioot_-.
" .. "!I"'ll. _<II, _ ",,,",
0J9.0cj .1I'fO<ft. 1M ,000000000i .. to. JUot'.
1orI'r'oM"._
JYilo:rn '. kr>QWn:01 'p:oni"'ll bitlot.
icracla. makes IJ5e 01 .adio 5ig
nal, ralher Ihan in own. U,ing a cell-
pholl" low"r lor a Iran.mill"., th" ,y.lern li.t"n.
wilt-, 'Is .oceive.rI 10' 1111l e<;hOll:S or th" cell phone ,ig-
Ilal . IhOM! 10 dcletl fll'itlg
'*Itel$- whet\. tt\.gint ."II!
Ihllllr" trr1l1 B.--iti"h radar /!>:.l"'rir'J\o!t\.b I-...d on
Ih" BRC', main Ir.n.mille. In london 10 'illumi-
nate" tn., "What If a aircrafl had flown
across London in 1934" "Iallasi "g di lector Sllne
recalls olle 01 his oolleagl'e:\ ling, "Would lhat
r.tdar hvedelected it'/" Rolle', pil55ive bislatic ""b.
is alw Jimil
a
, IQ. ty1leril o;;.Ilied Silenl Sentry 111,,1
Wif' developed by M"rlin-
lhough Sil"nt Stnlry ."Ii",. On rndio and td"",i,iml
,lgnBIs. 001 tlUlSf' fmm
Is cellpOO"",,"bMed radar a true th reat 10 nalional
Jecurity" !<Jhn Sheffer, (Q-fwnder of Itealth wn-
Jultilllls M;uitltB Scielltifk Illd CQ-lIulhor of Ihe
5landard leKlbool 011 rOOiJ detenion, ha, dOf.lbt',
t'm not .ure:he laya, 'lh31 there',. real POllY in
there." Shaeffer points om thaI rada. sy!>-
tern has lhe iJest ct-"mce of defealing 5Ieallh whe"
the reeeJ....,r is on Ir"., oppmite or the airplan",
rrom the (r;llumillt"I, whiclJ meana th" ajrpl;mc a
already ill.!lKk territory befoce!he r&dar
chanct of pld:Jng it up,
An even bigger qoesTion do with power,
Con....,ntiomd mO!lOslaltG radlllS Imndr.,w; fir
kilOWJ1t! inlo a 1>Ii!IIGii IiI;" I brig;hl selr.;;h-
ligllL Ct;1I!)h."'le <;ont.ut, pilI 0111 only
lena of waul. and in all di.tlou, more lil, a
household Ilghtbulb, tik", ripples un a fJOnd. tll",
tadio waves lose energy as they and They
KlItler flltlho:r ",hen they hit Blllfge!. the sign.al .. t
lbe retei"'llr i, _u.. Allhough 'TV and fM radio Jig-
11..015 a.e tlronger than tho"" from C<l'l1phonl'!lt. lhey
a.e .Iill much weaker lhan thOl'" emitle<:l by a
rOUlse:! ",.,hr transmineL
[n 3 Mar<h 1(JOO rtlX'tt (IIi erili(.al mHi1ary 1ech
flnlnlli"", Ihe f'entagun', Threat Reduction
wrot" that TV-hased bi.I,1Ik .""",., iiI;,., Silent
Sentry have som" polenlial '",ahh l"rgel'"
Even su, the Pellr,,&,-,n', LQw O!)servahle,jeount<:.
Low Observablf!S Exe.:ut iV<! CUrI'U"r1iuL..,. o. Extelll',
whiCh <:<ll'!r\llt lhoe ,xpo.1 (J(
c<XI1d cn,"prooniSOl.I",.lth, dooet r"IOI blttllif:
.adnr in n 10111; 1 of r:ourner-'ll'alth tech-
niqUe!......nd tho:' ha, permilted lockheed
Manin to go publk with ils Silelll Selllry syslem,
which the company Is pilchl"g a way ror one
to k...ep II di5GIeel eye on air5pace,
to JI"V or Qil"". \r"rror;
Kube M\fllQr .. ha"l' I.>o;en
aoout how llu;ir .adar $Y'!lel1l wl,luld W(Irk, but lhe
wmpany a diagram .howinG lhal h
depend. on multiple receivets, When g cellpho"e
10000'tt out I Jignal, heuJ illwke,
The fint come! di,.,.;tly from the IQWer I"d
Ihe sond j, an echo from the target, If three or
the lime rlifferenc:e be1ween
Ihe two 5ignals, using GI'S to provide precise syn'
of the tiura, they .hould be able
lu pinpoinl Ihe
BLJI as the Rake Manor sc:lentisl. roll up theit
&I..eve&, &lealth enghl""''' cuntinLJe 10 refln" Ihe
shapes of their ,allbut,lnvisible aircnft. Today's tech
nlcal paper! deKribe plane3 whose rncb. cro5He(
IlollS at Ihe IIUI of &",all blllis 00' of lno'"lui
10"'. work prO\!'rening: on stealth
;nlp'QVinJ; nlethod. thaI 1I."'i! nOlhinS 10 0;10 willi a
pLan",'s shape_ Etlf,"eI amI otller "tl()t .]XtIS. 011 sleahh
ai/craft can be trrated with plastics (>r that COil
131n radarab'll." bing inks, powder!, or lIli nera] com
pouruJ,:, Nmbly. Utoiit: life m06t
ill the miCJ1l1'o'iLvt' oo.lId where cellphonell operate.
And so, even in otIr Signalolitrewn, wireless world,
Ihe 6o-year--old game of catand-mouse beTween
and lheir I,uset. continue;;, B
I
STEALTH
BOMB 50UAO A8"",,totlchH<l M.r
II" cNlIllon h. compelln, wiU, HorlhrOll
lhe GMH".Mlo"
1l0I'llbH.' rJlid'U,," .1r"1MI
10 ;orr"'" 1ft :fll', H....'hnos concut._
110,/1'" I tlle.Ute I.l'Ilpe I.lmbr" uw.
<_f. X478 droM.
loKklll.d ..r.
work,ng log.elher on 3 dll5ign 10' rile bamblr,
with Norlhrop !3rumlTl<ln,
Thl AJr "on;ItWQn"t ,nngoyn" the 01
tl>< the new vnt"
Lat,r )'I.... 1M ,Llil'". I
5hQuid 3 trail 01 flYing
up 10 1.000 rw.w.. /rom 3n
I.mker.
11..000 2B.OOCl 01 ordnance. I.'OS'
sibly ,Mlu<lln\l
Tr.e botribfrwiLI "lot tM I.arN nt.wlng
iMp.!! 01, e.2. whICh mUM M till to rMlut
radar !.igMls. Md in two
.I'daurlace coati"9-
cOl,lld 9'VliIlhe nll'W bambl'r ri>d.n 5111",,'ure
maLl u "'"' I'lntho thol of .. """qulto_
ITaodwy". "09Lth bomberllrf! btlotl;f!d to
appear em radilr 5er""S lI!io beiflll about
the small blfll ,I com-
puler mcdel"ll will m.KIt ,. pollible 10
<.Iel19n shap" Ilure to bI lulpr cl,ulti'l'dl
lh:ilr Cln I"'l'" """'t
trom ,"d,,, 5<: ..... n5_ tnere"5 U1e
pl3nes ""rlllte_ The 8-2 U5oe5 I
skin contains lilly ooads cllOIled with
lenil\!: rOKIar wa",slnd1Jc... maonettC
field In 11'1. CO-aIl1'l!l thai con>'trlJ. tM radiO
to M.al The pn:Wlt1'!T\ ii, th,l; cOoaI,
Ing II aM 0)' had
The N@xt G@l'IeI'"llion
Nv!" radarilb!>OrMnt COBlI!'Ilj lhal
can withslilnd r""gh tlJ't ,undillon."
Thf" n@wcraUcwldall<>h_amaJOr
IoC!vantlgt Oo'\I!r tocUr". bombers-
lighter-;'t rrom lilt F-22
RilPI'Or" 4-10-air ""WOWwollid delend
the bomDtr' from .ltlCklng PoI-
.,Ie mQQW<I'nor
.... ld <.Iesfr"", .. 01'
5tallan50n the ground. p.oortlrularty
<13"9"'005 misSIOns In which i!llns
of iI (oncern. 111e bomoor couLd ILy at tl1e
(@fit!!\' '01 a prolt'(lJ... '"""r pack": this grroliP
cr hghlfor It".drorIos and gllided 1T\rS!.Ilu
wolL tr..... lln lorrNItlem ..rGijM thl boml>lr
uglnlr'o<1g 'U!rIllic..n,. b)t ItMIIIg sJgr\oll!
10 on" enothH" usmg r!ldar and
The most ;"triglling "onibility of ..n.
" tm. I>\Ir.istenl rumOl' that tho
lit ,t Gtn.ratlClorl BoMt..r is KllJlIlr c.......
Thus utilising incident radar
waves energy...less enegy
radar waves reflected
The 1-2,. wtWcI'l (OIn carty o..dear
or VoEaportS. is
lOdIy's wltt1 bomber.
The .OHI will be ibn
I;Q .. mrlr 5ol;
and eqllpped with newtr com
pLMn. arid COIl'Io'lIUr'Ii
'r'(ttflrn it ta5iM 10
dldnge nisWn'; on !hi'
Thl :IUplll'lGftk B-1BWi!\.
designed a. ij low-altilllde. high-
5Pfell bornbl!I'.lts rniJke!,
illl5!. to aotlad Ihan
d1l! ckri,y BS.,
but it., not oij; $lealth,;loS!he
11-0, The B-Ie flon thlIn
I/'Ie 201 a: bornbeo- and (&fl'it1.
crlr
TDDAY'S BOMBER FLEET
The Air force's CI.llTef1t I:lontM!r fleet OCIffl5;ts of thl! Wmn !"tiP-
tile B-52. 8-18 ld 8-2, More tI'II .-e ;Mjf1g 852$, :s.ome 01$ old SO. AI
thrw hiM!il')rM6 r<ln\ill"ar'ld 1hin il. pliImed lor the Z018 boiribe<.
but tt>e r-.. bomber i5 to be ar>d
The 8-52 the old ....,..kho<5t-
of tr.t U.S. fleet, wltt1
"" ;werq 01 n-ore th<Jn
45 ye;w5. It Qll yny ij wider
r...-ge and loiter
IorIIJ'f I'lllhout refueing, thHt
M1Ymherbomber, The B-52
lias IT'IOfethan tour IIlTIe5 ltIe
rangI! 01 IN- 2018 tJombt.r.
,gEI.S.g lln.
tor th Locl'Jlnd b9m r
;0 lor.. ClnlHIKI'-'. long, .LPn-
d.r win,., IoIId ItIlUke .1, lllltlllnr
tIleua' .1.Th,,,-'IMUtftdIfP
iF Iw.Ltr.-_...I....,.
forllKfel "!lUc""
trl unmanned DDmbfl:
Last IPfin9. laid 0Il1 tIM CUt:
Furodll'l4 for 11\. Nl'llt G.... rl.ll6ro BomIioMI.
a nowMttl<l bfI fDUM in 11M MCHlI AIr
i FI)('t:I buGgtl, firlllneiai. n:leMed
; try Ngrll"Rp bt1lion in
5
j
".iovtll di";liQl1, N..,..-lhrvp ..,....h DIIiLt IhI-
El-2. ITIO,)rt """"" th'I.omrnt Ig tMld
, tl1e X-479" N:lvy i:\I:mOllstrDlor d.l;lne
" "";0 lhi. year, It.e oompt"Y
hed prl;lpll5ed II bigger
:. "'rl'lon ollheX-' 1, ""llI)' up'rh beUe".
b lh. btild< bomber rvmor-ed 10 .... urodvr
It NorWDp illn
_ lirull! Mf...... fr.:.rn bMh It.. X_'1Ind Ih.
8-2-like, an 1Jnrnilf'll1ed
on the NUl Gentr"aoon For
8otinG's ii' priK<cMnl (If
Iy:liltml, o.tryl Davis. I/lla 1M So!.lIIII..
r.rN$l.uIJa...... ,.,.lhIl n,.
we. - wilettler Iho:
wwld be m.lnned or uNTlilnned.
wtTy'lWUld 1M Air Forel prefer Ig
Ii'll pilgl? Simi'll] An unmlnned
cl1 wvuld be Imllt.r, ehl'lper, Ind
nlVl limost ul\lfmitelleMuunce,
"witnoot e pilot, J'OU CDn .emein OYer
lhe lergeloree for dly' 81 I time,- soys
.kIhn director of Ii'll Vir;inilbilsl'd
think tilllk You",
11101'.,-,. lir pOW1l!r on ( .. Il- Pike
U1ys thII A.ir -9ol ..... Ibout
UfV1tlnned pt.1lrw. in Iraq. where morl
than 1,000 smaller drone. hill'l! been ,"uc-
uud 'or and a;r
Ilr,I<.._Th yfIa, math ir'1
hislor)' Ihallh. Ai. FDret will buy mor.
unmanned p("ne:; Inen
That l.iIid, iI's Ont 1n;"g to IIilvl I
.mati unmlnllot'Cf cijrry eortVlnliollill
bomb.. lnd millilll but quite "llQlhotr" 10
1000d up .. ratlot pl...nl with 1B,QOO pwnd'i
01' nllCle.. r weapons, I rttent ,onqres
slonel report p\l1 it, a lWJCLeer-equipped
.obol is likely 10 be controversial
C"SI, if Ihis; is wh<it lhe Air For" hili in
mind. no wQl1de. keepi"') il it'Jlll.