The US Navy operations specialist explains why, although the S-400 SAM system's radar can detect the F-22 and F-35, it cannot lock weapons on them.

Stealth Fighters

The F-35 Lightning II is the most advanced security node of the 21st century: it brings stealth, sensor fusion and interoperability to enable access in contested environments and improves situational awareness.

Like the F-35, the F-22 brings unmatched stealth capability to the fight: the Raptor is designed to project air dominance, quickly and at great distances, and defeat threats that attempt to deny access to our military. air, to our army, to our navy and to our forces. Marine Corps.

The F-22 was built to be an air-to-air superiority fighter and the F-35 was built to be an attack fighter. These planes complement each other and when the Raptor and Lightning II come together, it brings out the strength of both planes.

But can the radars of advanced air defense systems like Russia's S-400 surface-to-air missile (SAM) detect F-22s and F-35s, putting them at risk in a high-threat environment?

The S-400 SAM system's radar can detect the F-22 and F-35, but it cannot lock on their weapons.

Eric Wicklund, a former US Navy operations specialist, explains on Quora:

“Yes, it may… “possibly”, but that fact comes with an important caveat, which Russia doesn't want you to know. That caveat is this: By the time an S-400 can lock on the F-22/F-35, those planes have already fired munitions to destroy the S-400's radar.

“When using radar against anything, there is a difference between 'detection' and achieving a 'weapons lock'. They are not synonymous. Without weapon locks, you cannot successfully engage what you are tracking. So an S-400 can get a “weapons lock” on an F-22 or F-35 at about 20-30 miles depending on conditions (the actual number is classified).

“The problem with the S-400 is that the F-22 or F-35 can drop a JDAM or SDB II bomb long before that happens.” An F-35 can launch an AGM-88 HARM (High-Speed ​​Anti-Radiation) missile well before (60 miles away) the S-400 gets this lock. This means that these planes can complete their mission (by destroying the S-400) before the S-400 can even begin its mission.

The S-400 is doomed from the start

“In short… the S-400 is doomed from the start.

“Experts will claim that the Nebo-M radar used in the S-400 system can “detect” a stealth fighter from further away. That's true, but as it does with L-band radar, it pretty much only “detects” everything it can.

Wicklund concludes:

“As I pointed out above, “detection” is not enough to attack a stealth aircraft. You need that “weapon lock” and Russia needs its X-band radars to get it. But they won't succeed before the missiles and bombs, determined to destroy Russian radars, are already coming screaming.

Photo credit: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and Airwolfhound of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom via Wikipedia