FUTURE TRENDS IN STEALTH WEAPONS

Cao Benyi
This article sets forth the important function of stealth weaponry in modern warfare, as well as domestic and foreign research and development in this field. It also points out the crucial technological problems that have to be overcome in research on stealth weaponry in view of Chinese conditions, and offers some recommendations. The purpose is to draw the attention of relevant Chinese specialists to the problems connected with stealth weaponry research.

The powerful capabilities and special characteristics of stealth weaponry enable evasion of detection by sensing equipment on the ground, breaking through a great variety of the enemy's defensive systems, and penetrating deeply into enemy territory to attack all strategic objectives. As a consequence of the very rapid development of stealth technology, the survival potential and the rate at which stealth weapons will successfully break through enemy defenses in modern warfare have been remarkably enhanced. This has attracted worldwide attention. This article elaborates on four aspects of the functions and future trends of stealth weaponry.

Cao Benyi contributed this article to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry, Modern Weaponry, no. 11 (8 Nov 1992).

Stealth Weaponry in Modern Warfare

It is characteristic of modern warfare that it stakes everything on technology. Following the rapid development of radar, infrared, laser, and millimeter wave detector and guidance technologies, every kind of weaponry is almost immediately monitored by concentrated radar and photoelectric detectors. It is for this reason that every country is now expending great energy on stealth weaponry research to enhance the operational effectiveness and survival potential of weaponry in modern warfare. Stealth technology is part of high technology; stealth weaponry is extremely important in modern warfare. Several countries have by now developed various kinds of highly efficient stealth weaponry, such as stealth planes, stealth missiles, stealth naval vessels, stealth tanks, etc. Some have indeed already been transferred for use by the armed forces and successfully tried out in actual combat.

F-117A stealth fighters, developed by the United States, were used in the armed invasion of Panama on December 20, 1989, when they successfully evaded the radar network of the Panamanian defensive forces and unloaded two almost laser-guided bombs on the Rio Hato airfield, 90 km southwest of Panama City. This made it very easy for the U.S. paratroopers to accomplish the great military achievement of occupying the Rio Hato airfield. When the Gulf war erupted on January 17, 1991, F-117A stealth fighters were the main formation in the attacking air force, and they dropped the first bombs on Baghdad. These laser-guided bombs of the "Bao-shi-lu" III type, weighing one ton each, were dropped with unerring precision on the large communications building that housed the information services of the Iraqi armed forces, scoring a remarkable hit. One F-117A stealth fighter dropped two 2-ton laser-guided bombs right into the entrance to the Iraqi Scud Missile storage hangar. Another F-117A stealth fighter dropped one bomb into the air shaft of the Baghdad air defense headquarters, and yet another made a very destructive attack against the Baghdad air force headquarters, bringing this huge building down in a big cloud of fire and smoke. In all these air attacks the F-117A fighters maintained a record of zero losses.

Used as a strategic and tactical attack weapon, a stealth-guided missile makes it impossible for the target to defend itself. During the Falkland War of 1982, the Argentines used the French-made Exocet guided missile to sink the British destroyer Sheffield. In the Gulf War, the U.S. Navy used 100 highly effective Tomahawk cruise missiles with stealth characteristics to attack Iraqi strategic targets in the early morning of January 17, 1991.

The great importance of stealth weaponry in modern warfare has gradually been realized by China's scientific and military experts. China has vast territories, vast territorial skies and waters, and long shorelines. To protect its territorial rights over its land, air, and sea against any future aggression, it is necessary for China to make every effort to develop stealth technology, to develop stealth weaponry, and to do what is necessary to enable China's stealth technology to catch up with the world's most advanced level of such technology in a short time.

Domestic Developments and Critical Technological Problems

In China, research on stealth weaponry was started in the 1980s, and great progress has been achieved, particularly in aspects of theoretical research on active and exterior stealth applications for entire aircraft and for components. Microwave tests, in dark rooms and in the open, have by now been completed in the case of a number of entire aircraft and a large number of components.

During the last few years, some units have started research on stealth materials. For example, the research institute of the Beijing Iron and Steel Complex has developed a coating material of superfine metallic particles with radar wave absorption properties. Other relevant units have developed other coating and structural materials.

Because China was late in starting research on stealth weaponry, it has technically not yet nearly reached the level of such countries as the United States and the former Soviet Union. To offset its underdevelopment, to narrow the disparity with the rest of the world, and to be in control of the initiative in any future war, it is certainly necessary from now on to intensify research in stealth weaponry. The following are some of the critical technical problems that will have to be resolved in China's research on stealth weaponry:

* Expand the stealth waveband. Stealth technology is an important component of electronic warfare, and development of stealth technology must be conducted with full consideration for the peculiarities of modern warfare. The main emphasis on research of stealth weaponry in the various countries is currently placed on centrimetric wave, submillimeter wave, infrared, laser, and metric waveband expansion. The stealth waveband will therefore have to be expanded. Meticulous design of the external contours of stealth weaponry. It necessitates streamlining of the exterior of stealth weaponry, eliminating angular reflections and mirror reflections, and the rational design of the exhaust and air intake system of the power unit, to provide minimal surface area for radar reflection.
* Use of the most modern types of radar wave absorption and permeable materials. Exterior coating of the stealth weaponry with wave absorptive material and the use in structural components of wave absorptive and permeable materials can effectively reduce the surface area for radar reflection.
* Selection of power units with limited heat radiation, combined with the cooling of the exhaust fumes will reduce infrared and heat radiation of stealth weaponry and will make it infrared indiscernible.
* Use of electronic countermeasures and increasing the outer impedance load of the stealth weaponry. Installing on stealth weaponry electronic interference mechanisms and various kinds of equipment that would signal out false targets.
* Developing and installing accurate measuring devices. We should place main emphasis on setting up radar testing plants that are consonant with the environment of modern warfare, develop newly structured radar, taking as our principal research objective measurement of the reflecting surface area of the radar targets under wideband conditions, and should thoroughly research the reaction in the targets of the radar waves.

Suggestions for Development of Stealth Weaponry

* In light of the world's modern testing technology, and giving overall consideration to China's financial, material, and geographical conditions, it is necessary for China to start research on stealth weaponry, and to develop as quickly as possible stealth weaponry that is attuned to China's national conditions and that is also up to worldwide advanced standards.
* In the development of stealth weapons, China must firmly adhere to the principles of independence, initiative, complete self-reliance, and must in technological matters take the road of integrating what has already been developed with activities of own independent creativity. At present, China must set up as quickly as possible various research projects. Those projects that have already been set up should be considered as models and research topics to be brought to fruition in the research units.

The radar-indiscernible structure of the stealth weaponry is an important research topic. It comprises primarily research on the external structural contours and structural research on power units, power unit installations, exhaust and air intake, directional guidance installations, installation platform for the armament system, and the antenna system. The rational structural composition of stealth weapons is extremely important for a reduction of its radar-reflecting surface area and for enhanced radar-indiscernibility.

Radar-indiscernible material is one of the key items in stealth weapons; application of indiscernible material and the outer stealth structural contours are of equal importance. Research abroad has already produced various kinds of highly effective radar-indiscernible coatings and structural materials. At present, as far as materials technology is concerned, mixed materials for increased wave absorption have very good prospects. The appearance of such new technologies as sandwich-intertwined wave-absorbing materials and self-programming materials have opened new roads for the development and manufacture of radar-indiscernible materials. Superfine metal particles also have great potential as a radar-indiscernible coating material. It is necessary for China to develop through various technological methods a series of structural and coating materials with radar-indiscernible properties.

* Costs of stealth weaponry must be reduced and production must be made economically more acceptable. Abroad, costs of developing various types of stealth weaponry have been excessively high. For instance, the cost of one single American B-2 Stealth bomber is in excess of $500 million. China's economy is still very backward, and its financial and material resources are extremely limited, which makes it even more necessary to reduce the costs of developing stealth weaponry and make its production economically more acceptable.
* In light of China's backwardness in stealth technology, if we are to fill as quickly as possible the present stealth weapon gap that exists in China, we must make use of every opportunity that is offered, import from abroad advanced technologies and equipment, establish as quickly as possible a research organization in the country. Thus we can speed up development of China's stealth technology.
* At the same time as the development of stealth weaponry is going on, research must also be undertaken in antistealth technology. Stealth technology as well as antistealth technology are parts of the key projects in high technology that are currently being pursued by the various countries of the world. For the period from 1990 to 2000, the U.S. Defense Department ranks stealth technology second among its 17 technology projects of highest importance. Among the 22 key technology projects for preferential development in 1990, three dealt with antistealth technology. This makes it very obvious that in future warfare stealth technology as well as antistealth technology will both be indispensable.