China uses SpaceX's Starlink satellites to detect stealth aircraft
interestingengineering.com
Chinese researchers have found an innovative way to detect stealth aircraft passively using Starlink satellite constellations.

https://archive.is/2024.09.16-214410/https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/china-starlink-detect-stealth-fighters#selection-373.0-373.86

  • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
    ·
    2 months ago

    This is insane, passive detection is a death sentence for stealth aircraft because they can't get prior warning they've been detected and can't tell where they were detected from.

    If this is viable Musk may have just single handedly prevented the US from having air superiority. Will be wild to see this start being used by smaller countries since it seems like the startup costs aren't that great thanks to Musk already doing the expense part.

    • merthyr1831@lemmy.ml
      ·
      2 months ago

      Not just killed US air superiority, but potentially made thousands of soviet-era launchers capable of cheap modernization to counter 5th generation stealth craft.

      It would make it possible for dozens of non-state actors to recreate the Yugoslav Nighthawk incident.

      • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
        ·
        2 months ago

        Not even peers, the satellites are basically casting a giant shadow on anyone who sets up a detector. Even impoverished 3rd world countries can set up HAM radio operations with some moderately powerful computers to detect them.