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Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by ThePeaceMaker
It wasn't radar though - The Rapier 2000 system is optical/IR guided.
That said though, I knew of a project around 10 years ago to use cellphone signals to detect stealth aircraft called CELLDAR. It must have got results, as they are now using the same technique to track individual raindrops:
www.bbc.co.uk...
Thing is, stealth doesn't mean invisible to radar, just difficult to detect. Long wave radar can pick up an aircraft like the B2, but because the resolution of the radar is so big it can't be used for targeting as you can only narrow down the aircraft's location to a few hundred metre - so I am told, anyway.
The proposed system works by utilising the TV transmitters that are dotted around the UK.
Each will receive the same TV signal but at a slightly different time because of the reflections and interactions with aircraft flying in their vicinity.
The received signals are then compared to the original broadcast, and the difference is used to locate the position of the aircraft.
The two-year research project is being funded by the Technology Strategy Board, a government agency set up to find innovative ways of using technology.
Thales believes that the large number of TV transmitters means the system could provide a more reliable infrastructure than the current one which typically relies on one radar per airport.
"The exercise gives us valuable interaction with our allies as well as a great opportunity to integrate with the Typhoon," he says. "It's important for us as coalition partners to have that level of familiarity to make us more tactically proficient should the time ever come to utilize this training."
Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by stumason
I don't know about other countries, but what I've learned about our system is rather impressive. Although it tends to leave a hell of a mess when it fails.