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Between the idea and the achievement, there is one important word: how.
And it is the how that makes all the difference.
Stealth
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Stealth Vehicle Shape
Planform alignment focuses radar energy into specific/desired directions.
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Stealth Reflection
Shallow angles reflect radar energy away from radar.
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Stealth Absorption
Radar absorbent material (RAM)absorbs radar energy.
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Stealth Infrared
IR signature can be reduced by nozzle treatments, exhaust cooling and air frame paints.
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According to Air Force and Defense Intelligence Agency estimates many countries have advanced anti-aircraft capabilities. Equipped with more sophisticated radars and the ability to track and attack multiple targets, surface-to-air missiles and cruise missiles, even in small numbers, can challenge our control of the skies in combat.
To counter these threats, stealth is designed into the next generation aircraft — the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. And Lockheed Martin has designed the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) to be stealthy. Stealth was also an important element of the U-2 and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft and it is a critical element in the ability of the Seawolf submarine to remain undetected deep under the sea.
The bottom line is that Lockheed Martin is a world leader in stealth, from the depths of the oceans to the skies above.
What you read here might well have been stamped Top Secret a little more than a decade ago. But what is stealth exactly? First, keep in mind that stealth is much more than designing in low radar cross section. There are several ways to detect an aircraft, and stealth can address any one of them.
An aircraft can be detected by radar, by infrared sensors, or by an adversary intercepting emissions such as radio or radar signals. An aircraft can be detected by smoke from the engines or contrails. And of course, an aircraft can be detected visually and acoustically.
 The F-117 Nighthawk addressed all of these issues. Simply put, stealth is the collection of technologies that deny detectability. It is a powerful force multiplier, providing survivability and effectiveness within the parameters of a reduced force structure.
According to Alan Brown, who retired as Lockheed Corporation’s director of engineering in 1991 and a man regarded as one of the founders of stealth, technologies to reduce radar cross section began almost as soon as radar was invented. The predominantly wooden de Havilland Mosquito was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a focus on low radar cross section.
Stealth evolution carried us through the U-2 and SR-71 programs and then the F-117 — all pushing the design parameters further. Today Lockheed Martin is applying the lessons learned from this experience to its F-22 and F-35 designs. The science of stealth does not stand still. As the threat improves, so must the countermeasures. And each stealth characteristic is built into the platform appropriate to the mission.
The security environment is constantly changing and the technologies that keep Americans and their allies secure must keep pace. Stealth is among the technologies that will continue to redefine air superiority. And while America’s lead in this technology is solid, the threat continues to evolve. Lockheed Martin is the industry leader in stealth and will continue to evolve this critical capability to stay ahead of the threat.
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