Militaries race to develop Quantum radar that would render Stealth Aircraft Obsolete, monitor Ballistic missiles to low altitude satellites

The utility of Modern high frequency Radars have become degraded due to  innovation in stealth that resulted include unusual shapes that deflect radar waves—like the US B-2 bomber’s “flying wing” design (above)—as well as carbon-based materials and novel paints.  China and Russia have since gotten stealth aircraft of their own, but America’s are still better. However, now another technology innovation of Quantum Radar is promising to detect even stealth aircrafts.

 

Such a Radar could render the $US1 trillion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program obsolete. Stealth whish had revolutionized the Air power by vastly enhancing the penetration capabilities of aircrafts  since they are extremely difficult to detect through conventional radars, is now under threat of quantum radars. Billions of dollars and decades of research invested in developing  radar absorbing materials and optimized shapes for stealth aircrafts like F-117, B-2 and F-22 would become meaningless.

 

This has led to  race between countries to lead this strategic quantum technology. America’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency and military suppliers such as Lockheed Martin are also developing quantum radar systems for combat purposes.

 

In mid-September 2016, however, researchers from China’s Electronic Technology Group Corporation revealed the world’s first long-range quantum radar. China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) announced, “Chinese scientists have already developed a small, powerful and secure radar system that relies on quantum physics to detect stealth targets located up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) away”. The radar, developed and made by the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology in Jiangsu province. The institute has been working with the University of Science and Technology of China and Nanjing University along with other research partners in carrying out field tests of the radar’s prototype, and has extensively improved its accuracy and sensitivity, he said. The radar is still undergoing tests and is more like a prototype demonstration of future capabilities, Sun said, adding that future versions will have better anti-stealth properties

 

“The characteristics of quantum radar include high reliability, accuracy and viability in sophisticated electromagnetic environments. It also has good mobility that will allow it to be mounted on multiple kinds of carriers,” the senior engineer said. “It has resolved traditional radar difficulties in terms of handling stealth targets and surviving enemy countermeasures.”

 

In addition to these advantages, quantum radars can also be adopted in missile defense and space exploration in the future. They will revolutionize radar arsenals, according to researchers from PLA National University of Defense Technology in Changsha, Hunan province.

 

At an industry exhibition in Nanjing, capital of eastern China’s Jiangsu province, in JUne 2018 , the company said the latest iteration of the technology could go one step further. Once installed on a near-space vehicle, it could “effectively monitor high-speed flying objects in the upper atmosphere and above”, the company said. Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said the development was significant.

 

“The term ‘high-speed flying objects’ could include ballistic missiles during their boost phase and mid-course, or low-altitude satellites, all of which are important targets to be monitored,” he said. “If a quantum radar could be fully developed, it would be really powerful in the three key areas of range, imaging and counter interference.”