Do you even know how long is a kilometre? If one pixel on a radar represents a kilometre, then you're not gonna have the precise tracking on a small target, let alone a stealthy one.
Actually a low frequency radar, comparable in size to a normal X-Band radar has very poor resolution, to fix this problem the low frequency radar must be built as large as possible to allow an engagement, however this only works on ground based radar stations and is problematic on aircraft, the accuracy of those radars is also inferior to normal radars, the frequency must be higher to get a lock with a missile, so that precision targeting cannot be done like on X-Band radars.
In Air to Air combat L-band using radar can be easily detected using passive detection, long before it will be able to track the enemy.
The US Department of Defence made the following statement: “The Northrop-Grumman B-2A 'Batwing' is sufficiently large that its shaping remains effective against lower band radars. The same is not true for fighters with LO shaping“, in fact this means that large stealth planes are still stealthy against low band radars, but Fighters with LO (Low Observable) shaping (alias F-35 Lightning II) are not stealthy enough to remain invisible against those radar systems.
The same does not go for Very Low Observable (VLO) aircraft, as seen in the Ausairpower statement made by Dr. Carlo Kopp: “Low band radars are not a panacea for the defeat of VLO (Very Low Observable) aircraft. Their angular accuracy has been until recently poor, and the required antenna size results in ungainly systems which are usually slow to deploy and stow, even if designed from the outset for mobility. The size and high power emissions of these radars, in types with limited mobility, makes them much easier to detect and destroy than typical mobile systems operating in the decimetric and centimetric bands, which can relocate rapidly after a missile shot.”
This statement means that low band radars are not an Ideal solution against VLO aircraft, because to detect them the radar stations must be very, very large and much to large to be mounted on an aircraft, so that the L-Band radars on the Sukhoi PAK-FA are actually useless, everything they would do at the end is letting a listening F-22 (or F-35) knowing that there´s a PAK-FA somewhere. They are also unable to provide target guidance for the weapons without being ungainly large, that’s the reason for those massive antennas on the ground based radar stations, to get at least a bit of accuracy.
To conclude, here are the general disadvantages of low band radars in shortened form:They are unable to provide weapon guidance because of bad resolution and accuracy
They need to be ungainly large to track an aircraft accurately
When mounted on aircraft, they are too small to track something or to get a lock on, everything that would happen at the end is letting the enemy know that there´s something out there
But in reality, the L-Band radars of PAK-FA are primarily used for friend-or-foe identification and electronic warfare, not target acquisition directly. Although the data will be used in the final data processing/analysis, whenever available.
The general advantages of low band radars in shortened form:Large UHF, S and L-band radars usually serve as early warning for other higher band radars.
If linked to other radar stations (both ground based and airborne), this can provide very effective means for early target acquisition. Using an array of different radar bands for triangulation and scanning "suspect regions".
Small L-Band radars can be useful for electronic warfare, friend-or-foe identification, decoy and illumination.
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While HF radars can spot stealth planes, they cannot guide missiles to targets—for now. Even so, the radars are useful in providing an early warning network, cueing Chinese fighter planes such as the J-11—also based on an artificial island in the South China Sea—to the probable location of stealth aircraft.
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Ground Based Radar
The Lower Frequency Bands (UHF/VHF) are more effective in detecting stealth aircraft - especially small fighter size aircraft. This is because their shape looses effectiveness against longer radar wavelengths. These radar frequencies have very poor resolution and are prone to atmospheric clutter (since they can also detect clouds, rain drop lets, etc.). With recent advancements, they’ve improved a lot - to a point that they can be used as Early Warning radars. These frequencies are actually used in Search Radars - they work effective in terms of detecting smaller objects.
However, there’s a big difference between detection (search radars) & targeting (fire-control radars). Most of the systems using Lower frequency search radars still rely on X band (or higher frequency) fire-control radars for targeting purpose. This is because such radars (lower frequency) still have poor accuracy & can’t be used for effective targeting purposes like in X Band (higher frequency). So the targeting range is extremely low in most cases (if any*). Only those using powerful S band, the targeting range is somewhat better.
It is also important to note that:
Very few countries have developed effective UHF/VHF search radars against smaller LO aircraft and in all cases, these radars need to be huge - irrespective of being mobile. Thus, limited to mainly ground based units.
Using Lower frequency bands needs more power - this is very dangerous. Such radars can be detected from very very long range. With advanced RWR or Passive radars (such as those present in LO aircraft), precise geo-location of such radar units can be known from far away - much before entering their ‘detecting zone’.
These search radars might be effective for small fighter size aircraft but not against larger aircraft like B-2. The size of B-2 is large enough to remain stealthy against Lower Frequency radars as well.
Fighter aircrafts
Almost all of the fighter aircraft relies on X Band radars due to limited space available. As said before, LO aircraft are designed to be highly stealthy against X band. In most cases, VLO aircraft like F-22 Raptor will remain undetected at almost all ranges against them.
The Su-35 S seems to have a very powerful radar. The manufacturer claim it to be able to detect LO aircraft. Theoretically it can detect LO aircraft (like F-35) from about 45 km (the 90 km figure is based on 50% probability) in a very narrow cone from the Su-35’s nose. However, practically how reliable such detection will be is debatable, especially with EW and it’s relatively quite easy for LO aircraft like F-35 to change it’s course to avoid detection.
Anyways, irrespective of being able to detect or not. None can at least use their own fire-control radar for targeting such LO aircraft. The only way for fighter aircrafts to engage LO aircraft is to rely on IRST (which is limited in operational range) & use WVR IR missiles. So in this area they’re quite safe.
IRST
Several fighter aircrafts have IRST for Infrared detection. This can be used against LO aircraft. Their operational range is about 50–80 km (as they’re prone to external factors). However, LO aircraft usually also have low IR signature. Thus, their detection range is further reduced.
However, the LO aircraft can also be detected by enemy passive radars (or RWR) if they’re indiscriminately using their own radars (especially for Russian & Chinese 5th gen. aircraft). Further, LO aircraft which are not that stealthy (like PAK FA) might be detected by powerful radars (in X band) at close or moderate ranges.
So What does it mean?
The state of detection of LO aircraft have improved a lot but it’s not widely available and targeting area have improved but in-effective in most cases.
However, this is far more worse for non-stealth aircraft. Even a moderate Integrated Air Defence network pose great challenges for all 4th generation fighters irrespective of how agile or manoeuvrable they are.
Stealth is the future, leave aside some useless propaganda and then you’ll realise how useful & important stealth is in today’s combat. No matter how much detection range improves, a stealth aircraft will always be detected much much later* than a non-stealth aircraft - that’s the reality. As detection/targeting techniques improve, so does stealth
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