Forum: Technology

I was in a discussion with a friend and he had stated that fitting an AWACS aircraft like the E-3 with an LPI radar would drastically improve its capabilities and would decrease the number of escorts it would require.

I don't disagree, but is this financially or even technologically viable?

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pants3204 wrote:

I was in a discussion with a friend and he had stated that fitting an AWACS aircraft like the E-3 with an LPI radar would drastically improve its capabilities and would decrease the number of escorts it would require.

I don't disagree, but is this financially or even technologically viable?

If the array were reconfigured with an AESA radar, then it'd be very feasible. It'd also cut down on the threat from extremely long ranged AAMs, as they'd have to be guided, rather than in ARM mode.

If it works, you would want a stealthy airframe to go with it.

count_to_10 wrote:

If it works, you would want a stealthy airframe to go with it.

Now would that be just to complement the emissions stealth with radar stealth? Or would that be a requirement?

I imagine the gains in stealth from utilizing AESA alone would be substantial.

I don't think it would be a requirement: but the advantage of LO radar for AWACS would be that it isn't broadcasting it's location over a huge area. However, AWACS planes themselves have some pretty big RCS's, which is just not important without a LO radar.
Similarly, it might be nice to have some stealthy tankers, if that is possible.

Arguably the more cost-effective priority would be in ensuring a dual-band radar, or multi-band radar is standard equipment. Eg, S/L band at the least, in addition to any other effective bands. Also, add a large enhanced LW or QWIP-based IRST aperture or two to the platform. At least a 280mm class aperture size... upwards to 15" aperture, for very long range enhanced passive search for small objects. The ESM mode teamed with IRST system could enable superior passive tracking when active radar was deactivated. imho.

If I'm not mistaken, isn't the F-22 already a kind of LPI AWACS platform?

The problem is that the F-22 cannot currently relay its findings to that rest of the forces, that is what BACN and MADL are for.

F-22's radar isn't nearly as big and powerful as an AWACS radar is. Also, doesn't that disk on AWACS planes let the radar work in all directions? A fighter's radar only points forward.

There was another thread around here not long ago in which we pondered stealth tankers and stealth surveillance & recon. We already have stealth bombers that can carry enough mass for that, and S&R is part of the goal for the next new bomber right from the start. But there might not be a stealthy solution for the refueling hose and open refueling doors, and even if you can do that, you'd need to have a reason why you want to send out a refueling bomber to enable a strike by refueled fighters instead of just having the bomber do it itself.

To take a large plane with a stealthy shape (whether B-2 or the next one after it) and turn it into an AWACS, how would you go about it? Putting a big disk on top would be bad for both stealth and aerodynamics, so I'd think of going with a collection of flat AESA panels located at various points on the plane. But couldn't multiple radars have been hidden inside the established body of the original AWACS planes, and isn't there a reason why they didn't do it that way?

I'd say that the legacy AWACS use the big disk for efficiency and because that was the technology available when they were designed. The next generation may well have multiple AESA arrays, for all I know.

Forum: Technology

AWACS with LPIR, Practical?