Simulations of the radar cross section of a stealth aircraft

The radar cross section (RCS) of a CAD model of the stealth bomber B-2 Spirit was simulated with the CADRCS software. Results from simulations with the aircraft model having a perfectly conducting surface and rotating about the yaw, pitch and roll axes are presented and compared with results of simulations where the surface of the model was covered with a radar absorbing material (RAM). The objective of this study was to investigate how the shape can affect the RCS of an aircraft and how the use of RAM can further reduce its RCS.

I. Introduction

Soon after the invention of the radar in the 1930's, the research on the reduction of the radar cross section (RCS) of aircraft and other military targets was started [1]. The reasons for this are straightforward. An aircraft whose RCS is small is less visible to radar, has better penetration and strike capabilities, and a lower probability of being tracked and shot down by enemy fire. Stealth aircraft can also serve as weapons of deterrence since an aggressor would have limited means of knowing when and where an attack could take place. The RCS of an aircraft can be reduced in different ways: by shaping the surface of the aircraft in such a manner that radar waves are scattered away from radar receiver; with the use of radar absorbing materials (RAM); by maneuvering and avoidance tactics; and with radar jamming equipment [2], [3].