China’s J-20 stealth jet designers plan to put powerful radar into aircraft wing
Fighter jets typically house their main radars behind a radome in the nose, while conventional airborne early-warning aircraft often carry large radar arrays in prominent structures above the fuselage. Although aircraft wings offer a large surface area, their relatively thin cross-sections leave limited internal space for radar equipment. Top Chinese military aircraft designers have now proposed…
Chinese military aircraft designers have proposed an innovative method to mount powerful radar arrays on the wings of fighter jets. Traditionally, radars are housed in the nose of fighter jets, but this new design seeks to utilize the wing's larger surface area. The idea was presented in a study published in the Chinese journal Measurement & Control Technology on October 10.
The researchers from AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, designers of China's stealth fighter J-20, argue that this approach could enhance the detection capabilities of distributed air combat. The concept involves using flight maneuvers and coordinated formations of unmanned aircraft to expand radar coverage. By adjusting the aircraft's flight attitude, the radar beam can be dynamically controlled and directed towards different sectors.
The design aims to support distributed airborne early-warning operations, where multiple smaller unmanned aircraft share surveillance duties. This approach could potentially be applied to future Chinese combat aircraft, including the J-20 and next-generation designs.
Written by urgent.news from Reuters Business via SCMP's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
