China's new stealth fighter may use US technology

[nikimcbee]

Did they ever say how they mamaged to shoot him down? Were they actually tracking him, or did they just get lucky? I remember they said the US kept using the same flight routes and that was one of the reasons they were able to tage it.

[Krauter]

According to the article it was a combination of luck and tenacity and a Soviet built SA-3. I might be mistaken, but doesn't the SA-3 have IR backup to its radar homing?

*Summons TLAM..*

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Krauter

According to the article it was a combination of luck and tenacity and a Soviet built SA-3. I might be mistaken, but doesn't the SA-3 have IR backup to its radar homing?

*Summons TLAM..*

Not as far as I can tell. The SA-3's backup system is a TV camera plus Thermal Imager and laser range finder (those last two were a 1999 upgrade I think) linked to a command guidance system to control the missiles.

The Iraqis before OIF may have made one that did by putting a AA-8 APHID seeker on it. But that might have been a SA-2 I forget which.

As far as I know what happened was that the USAF flew the same routes over and over. The Serbs had spies letting the AD guys know when a strike was launched. The AD unit timed the trip and was looking at the spot where the attack was likely to come from (they also listened for the reflection of AM radio waves bouncing off the 117) and pulled the trigger when they saw the 117 at point blank range (like under 20 Km.)

[Krauter]

Hey it worked

Aah, so basically stealth features on any aircraft or ship/whatever it is applied to, can be beat at short range (combined with the stupidity of the user..)?