Overview of Low Observable Technology and Its Effects on Combat Aircraft Survivability

Abstract

The introduction of low observable (LO) technology on combat aircraft has produced a leap in aircraft survivability, but it has also raised some difficult questions. How do you quantify survivability, and because new technology tends to be expensive, how LO does an aircraft need to be to accomplish its mission? This paper will show how low observability dramatically improves combat aircraft survivability by reducing an air defense's ability to detect, track, intercept, and destroy an LO aircraft. Important aircraft signatures that can be detected such as radar, visual, infrared, and intentional emissions are discussed in detail as well as methods to reduce those signatures. LO and mission planning tactics' impacts on threat system capabilities are examined and examples of LO aircraft penetration of a notional hostile air defense are shown. The conclusion is that through the use of mission planning tactics and low signature, LO aircraft can survivably penetrate heavily defended air space with little support to accomplish their mission.