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

  • darkcalling [comrade/them, she/her]
    ·
    3 days ago

    Interesting but the US could just bully Musk into turning off all the Starlink stuff in a given region half an hour before air operations start. Of course the fact the US military pays for a special version of it complicates things but nothing of theirs relies entirely on it so far and they have existing systems they can use if it's off.

    • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
      ·
      2 days ago

      Turning off the signal in an area is also bad because it immediately tells whoever is there that you're obviously planning to fly stealth aircraft there.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      2 days ago

      yeah, but China can launch their own constellation now that would let them do the same thing. The best part is it doesn't even matter who operates the satellites. As long as you can tack signals from them, you'll be able to see the shadow of the jet passing under.

    • merthyr1831@lemmy.ml
      ·
      2 days ago

      Thing is, even if they can control musk they can't necessarily control other companies that are trying to compete. There's more than a few sources of radio waves in LEO now, starlink is just the largest for now.

      And if there isn't, nothing is stopping any government with the funds from stuffing a bunch of high powered radio transmitters to satellites to blast X or Y region to deter stealth aircraft

    • Enjoyer_of_Games [he/him]
      ·
      3 days ago

      I'd bet they already knew this was possible and hoped to exploit it against China for awhile before anyone else figured it out.

      • invalidusernamelol [he/him]
        ·
        2 days ago

        If that's the case the US is totally doomed. Anyone with Hall a brain should have been able to tell that China is the global heart of scientific development and they have more than enough people smart enough to figure this out fast.

        Honestly they've probably had this tech since like a month after Elon announced Starlink and are only now revealing it.