Cell phone technology compromises stealth bombers

[heatload]

The US Air force can easily develop technology to jam cell phone tower signals. They can also easily send a few cruise missiles to hit node points for signals for these towers so the central point that processes the signals will not see the radar picture of key locations. Additionally, this technology of putting up towers to cover large territory can be expensive. Chinese would also need the computing power and necessary software to process the signals. There are several other ways to defeat these towers such as flying the B2 and F117 in rough weather such that the passive signals are degraded.

[camaro]

I don't think blowing them up or jamming them is an option. This country is ruled my corporations and they wouldn't want to lose their costumers everytime US wants to take some pics.

[SoopaStar]

Unless they were randomly jamming towers...then that would be a dead on show-n-tell of where the bomber was. "Oh look..tower 2 went dead...now its back" lets send out some migs to check it out

Paul

[jansson_markus]

I remember reading about this a while back...

Anyway, its nice to know, since here in Finland, every km2 has NMT-GSM coverage! Also, our airforce commander "admitted when he was directly asked about it" that Finland currently has "some hundreds or perhaps thousands of such devices (cellurar phones relaystations + passive IR/UV/EO/EM sensors) IN OPERATIONAL that can be used to passively detect various aircrafts, including stealth".

So in short, keep those B2:s coming, we'll be waiting...

But the main problem is how to put a missile where the B2 is? Not an easy task, especially since they will be covered with strong ECM (which they "forgot" in Kosovo and F-117) and they will be evading too. I dont think the calculations are that hard to do btw.

Markus

[exusaf]

Oh yeah, wide-area jamming is possible...when Looking Glass or Kneecap were parked at the nearby base, people would complain to the tower and FAA about garage doors suddenly opening and closing, microwaves malfunctioning and cell phone going haywire. Also, notice that when the President goes to a function, the Secret Service techs jam all cell phones in room.

[bdunn13]

Just use the stealth bombers to bomb the cell phones.. The world would be such a happier place without annoying people on cell phones!

[MTAtech]

Military history is a constant measure and counter-measure battle. So what this basically means is that, at worst, pilots are as safe as they were before stealth technology was invented - which is still pretty safe.

[silverfish51]

*hmm* cell phone traffic dosn't cover areas such as the sea.. It's blocked by hills and stuff as well. So re direct all the stealth aircraft to maratime duties if they are that scared.?

[wyvrn]

Well you knew our current stealth technology was only going to last so long. What is funny is the way other countries are doing it, with relatively low-tech the average consumer uses everyday

[iknowalittle]

1. B-2 bomber's fly at altitudes far outside the edge of a cell phone systems range. Those antennas do not radiate like a lightbulb, that would be a tremendous waste of money. They are highly directional and try to stay flat along the earth. 7, 8 plus miles straight up, don't think so.

2. This idea of finding a "hole" in the electromagnetic spectrum dates back to when the F-117 first came out of the black. Everybody was claiming that stealth was a dead issue. Trust me nothing could be further from the truth.

3. Complex calculations, that's putting it lightly. What do you think existing radar calculations are? I'm not talking about textbook theories here, I'm talking real-life, rain, snow, birds (a B-2 has the radar cross-section of a Sparrow) do you see where I'm going?

4. The F-117 was hit by a combination of guessing and using a "spray and pray" technique of launching surface to air missiles. None of these aircraft have a small radar cross-section from all views.

5. By the way, who says that stealth was limited to reflecting radar off at different angles, or absorbing them. There doesn't have to be an electromagnetic hole in the sky.

Every couple years, something like this comes up. I deal with the mechanical design of electronics which include RF components. The RF stuff is still black magic and I don't pretend to completely understand it but I do know enough to tell you not to get your panties in a bunch.