China is developing a radar that can effectively detect and track even the F-22 Raptor

China is developing a radar that can effectively detect and track F-22 Raptor stealth fighters used by the United States and its allies. According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), researchers involved in the development of the radar are using China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to track stealth fighters.

The researchers also say it is cost-effective radar that relies on a simple receiving antenna. They say it can be used almost anywhere on Earth, and it can also remain undetected because it doesn't emit signals that could give away its location.

To further ensure trouble-free operation, it has the ability to change frequency ranges to the Global Positioning System (GPS), Russian GLONASS or European Galileo. These bands can be used by radar in places or situations where BeiDou jams. BDS was independently developed and built by China taking into account its national needs in the security, economic and social spheres. It provides 24/7, all-weather positioning for global users.

What makes the F-22 stealth fighter a deadly competitor in the skies?

F-22 Raptor – it's an amazing aircraft born out of the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program of the Cold War. Initially, it was conceived as a countermeasure to Soviet fighters. The maneuverability of this fighter, produced by Lockheed Martin, cannot be called anything other than extraordinary, a ballet of power and precision, which makes it the main predator of the sky.

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One of the fighter's most impressive features is its stealth, which the Raptor achieves thanks to a multifaceted approach that encompasses shape, materials and careful design, resulting in the fighter being virtually undetectable by enemy radar systems. The Raptor's angular, faceted shape, known as the "stealthy" or LO, specially designed to scatter radar waves, minimizing the reflected signal that could detect the aircraft's presence.

However, if the claims of Chinese researchers are true, this invisibility cloak used by the Raptor may be a thing of the past.

According to the SCMP report, the researchers published their peer-reviewed article in the journal of the National Defense Technology University. The research team specifically used a photo of an F-22 Raptor to hint at what the radar would try to detect. Additionally, data suggests that the same technology could be used by China to detect other stealthy aircraft, such as the F-35.

If these claims are true, the low-cost radar could also be used by other countries around the world to detect the F-22 Raptor, F-35 and other stealth fighters used by the West. The SCMP report also notes that researchers are looking to make anti-stealth radars more affordable – an idea that should worry the US and its allies.

BeiDou's radar system uses an extremely large number of satellites in orbit, each time it detects a stealth aircraft it creates a unique echo that can be analyzed to predict its location and the movement of the fighter, the document says.

The team uses the method of "blind detection" using a single channel to detect inconspicuous aircraft, which makes the radars cheap to manufacture and easy to operate. The mechanism involves the use of an advanced algorithm, first developed by a Yugoslav scientist in 1991, to search for hidden cyclic frequencies in electromagnetic signals.

Chinese researchers adapted this formula for their own use, which made it possible to detect the signals of inconspicuous targets.