Stealth and Cloaking: Obsolete soon?

Stealth and cloaking are great technologies. But when a country develops something, another country develops a solution. So, don't ya'll think that soon Stealth and Cloaking will have solutions, too? Things that can detect them? Perhaps then, the ones who created them will want to stop making them because they cost too much money and can be detected anyway. Could this happen?


Just my opinion, just don't shoot me

Stealth already IS detectable. Just not at ranges that are useful. Stealth doesn't make you invisible, just very hard to detect.

look at the F-22.

they are already working on its replacement. Why ? Because they know time stands still for no man bar the dead, and progress needs to be constant and ever forward.

Visual and acoustic are super secret areas we know next to nothing about, but hey, they are the next gen kit in the making!

Originally posted by Zaphod58
Stealth already IS detectable. Just not at ranges that are useful. Stealth doesn't make you invisible, just very hard to detect.

I know, but not always.

well i would hope that goverments would see the value in making high price weapons because their money will be well spent in the lives of all thoughs they saved. i mean how many thousands die because of one scout. if the scout is dead those thousands are still there to fight.

It will become easier to counter someday but I don't know about being obsolete... By the way it would be along time until the F-22 becomes obsolete. Well in my opinion anyways.

The F-22 isn't becoming obsolete.

No country can defend it's skies with ground based radars. The radars which can detect stealth aircraft also use a lot of energy, which can be traced back to itself and be destroyed by a long range HARM.

Also, JSOW's or other long range stand off weapons can destroy radar stations from hundreds of miles away. Static radar is obsolete, and it will be about 20 years before movable truck based radars can work together and triangulate in order to detect stealth aircraft.

Sure it could happen and once a country counters basic stealth another country will brainstorm a countermeasure to the sensor ability making stealth viable. You don't think that america isn't further the next step to avoid dection? USA knows everyone is trying to beat stealth they aren't just sitting around waiting to be one upped...

In Fact you said it Russian Soldier when one country makes a move the other counters the key is to be ready for the next move and thats why the US needs projects like the raptor. People say "we already have air dominance why spend all the money..." we spend the money to stay significantly ahead so the others are alwaysplaying catch up. I would imagine the realm of stealth is the same.

[edit on 27-7-2006 by American Madman]

This is an interesting thread, wish I could post some of what I've worked on.

I think it's safe in general to say this:

1) There is more than one basic type of stealth, I know of 3 that are applicable to general purpose airframes. You can't lump them all together and make accurate statements about it, because they're all very different. The one you guys see on the news, Ufimtsev edge-wave stealth, is old and busted even though it's the latest thing.

2) Everything has its weaknesses

3) The US is two types ahead of everyone else, and gaining. Three if you count the odd one. Types 2 and 3 have only been fielded on 'unusual' airframes to date.

4) Not all radar is the same. Not all ground based stealth sensing devices are radar in a classic sense. Not all stealth sensing radars use high emission power.

5) Not all radar is detectable. Not anymore. THAT has huge ramifications in terms of combat tactics.

6) There's a technology storm on the horizon. A lot of EM based stuff, especially military, is going to change. There is a ton of very odd technology about to hit over the next twenty years, and some of it is very non-intuitive.