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98-449: The player takes control of a stealth fighter aircraft , and is required to pilot the craft on a series of missions to destroy ground targets. The equipment of the player's craft can be customized, with different missile and bombs available for different combat roles. Early levels of this game are based on actual conflicts, such as the 1986 United States bombing of Libya , the Gulf War , and

196-623: A SAM threat actually increased from the Gulf War, and electronic warfare wings could no longer reprogram their own jamming pods but had to send them elsewhere for the task. Further difficulties came in the form of airspace restrictions, which forced NATO aircraft into predictable flight paths, and rules of engagement which prevented NATO from targeting certain sites for fear of collateral damage . In particular this applied to early-warning radars located in Montenegro, which remained operational during

294-411: A computer program called Echo 1. Echo made it possible to predict the radar signature of an aircraft made with flat panels, called facets. In 1975, engineers at Lockheed Skunk Works found that an aircraft made with faceted surfaces could have a very low radar signature because the surfaces would radiate almost all of the radar energy away from the receiver. Under a 1977 contract from DARPA, Lockheed built

392-563: A focus on air superiority , with supercruise , high thrust-to-weight ratio, integrated avionics, and of course, stealth. The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama . On 20 December 1989, two United States Air Force F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama. In 1991, F-117s were tasked with attacking

490-687: A huge mobilisation of troops and resources. On 23 March 1999 at 22:17 UTC the Secretary General of NATO , Javier Solana , announced he had directed the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Wesley Clark , to "initiate air operations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." The campaign involved 1,000 aircraft operating from air bases in Italy and Germany, and the aircraft carrier USS  Theodore Roosevelt sailing in

588-441: A particular design challenge, due not only to their multiple wing surfaces and articulated joints, but also to the constantly-changing relationship of these to the main airframe surfaces. The Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche was one of the first attempts at a stealth helicopter . Early stealth aircraft were designed with a focus on minimal radar cross section (RCS) rather than aerodynamic performance. Highly stealthy aircraft like

686-506: A perpendicular angle, though this made spotting ground traffic more difficult. By focusing on their operational survival, Yugoslav air defences ceded a certain amount of air superiority to NATO forces. Yet the persistence of their credible SAM threat forced NATO to allocate greater resources to continued SEAD operations rather than conducting other missions, while Yugoslav AAA and MANPADS forced NATO aircraft to fly at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) or higher. NATO reportedly fired 743 HARMs during

784-716: A political party led by Milošević's wife, and the Avala TV Tower . Some protested that these actions were violations of international law and the Geneva Conventions . NATO argued these facilities were potentially useful to the Yugoslav military and thus their bombing was justified. On 12 April, NATO airstrikes struck a railway bridge in Grdelica , hitting a civilian passenger train and killing twenty people. Showing video footage, General Wesley Clark later apologized and stated that

882-613: A proof of concept demonstrator aircraft, the Lockheed Have Blue , nicknamed "the Hopeless Diamond", a reference to the famous Hope Diamond and the design's shape and predicted instability. Because advanced computers were available to control the flight of an aircraft that was designed for stealth but aerodynamically unstable such as the Have Blue, for the first time designers realized that it might be possible to make an aircraft that

980-495: A second. Some weapons require that the weapon's guidance system acquire the target while the weapon is still attached to the aircraft. This forces relatively extended operations with the bay doors open. Such aircraft as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter can also carry additional weapons and fuel on hardpoints below their wings. When operating in this mode the planes will not be nearly as stealthy, as

1078-499: A secondary feature. In the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia two stealth aircraft were used by the United States, the veteran F-117 Nighthawk, and the newly introduced B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber. The F-117 performed its usual role of striking precision high-value targets and performed well, although one F-117 was shot down by a Serbian Isayev S-125 'Neva-M' missile brigade commanded by Colonel Zoltán Dani . Besides all

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1176-430: A significant radar return, stealth aircraft carry all armaments internally. As soon as weapons bay doors are opened, the plane's RCS will be multiplied and even older generation radar systems will be able to locate the stealth aircraft. While the aircraft will reacquire its stealth as soon as the bay doors are closed, a fast response defensive weapons system has a short opportunity to engage the aircraft. This vulnerability

1274-438: A third were guided by radar, forcing the targeted aircraft to jettison fuel tanks and take evasive action. In response, over half of NATO's anti-radiation missiles were pre-emptively fired at suspected air defence sites so that if a radar system did become active the missiles would be able to lock on more quickly. Where possible, Yugoslav air defences attempted to bring NATO aircraft into range of AAA and MANPADS. A common tactic

1372-643: A two channel IRST is a CO 2 (4.3 μm absorption maxima) detection possible, through difference comparing between the low and high channel. These analysts point to the resurgence in such systems in Russian designs in the 1980s, such as those fitted to the MiG-29 and Su-27 . The latest version of the MiG-29, the MiG-35 , is equipped with a new Optical Locator System that includes more advanced IRST capabilities. The French Rafale ,

1470-583: A variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar , infrared , visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, all collectively known as stealth technology . The F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft explicitly designed around stealth technology. Other examples of stealth aircraft include the B-2 Spirit , the B-21 Raider , the F-22 Raptor , the F-35 Lightning II ,

1568-451: Is addressed by operating in a manner that reduces the risk and consequences of temporary acquisition. The B-2's operational altitude imposes a flight time for defensive weapons that makes it virtually impossible to engage the aircraft during its weapons deployment. New stealth aircraft designs such as the F-22 and F-35 can open their bays, release munitions and return to stealthy flight in less than

1666-603: Is also a key characteristic of all stealth aircraft. Tests were performed in 2008 by the Northrop Grumman Corporation to establish if the aircraft's shape would have avoided detection by top-end HF -band, 20–30 MHz primary signals of Britain's Chain Home early warning radar , if the aircraft was traveling at high speed (approximately 550 mph (890 km/h)) at extremely low altitude – 50–100 feet (15–30 m). The testing did not find any evidence that charcoal

1764-585: Is also under flight testing. 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia NATO victory Human Rights Watch estimate: 489–528 civilians killed (60% of whom were in Kosovo) Yugoslav estimate : 1,200–2,000 civilians killed and about 6,000 civilians wounded FHP : [REDACTED] 218 Albanians, [REDACTED] 204 Serbs and 30 others Wartime events Aftermath Aspects [REDACTED] The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against

1862-461: Is believed that at least 4 Su-57 are deployed in Syria and that they have likely been armed with cruise missiles in combat. In 2018, a report surfaced noting that Israeli F-35I stealth fighters conducted a number of missions in Syria and even infiltrated Iranian airspace without detection. In May 2018, Major General Amikam Norkin of IAF reported that Israeli Air Force F-35I stealth fighters carried out

1960-589: Is claimed that the HF frequency used and the method of bouncing radar from ionosphere overcomes the stealth characteristics of the F-117A. In other words, stealth aircraft are optimized for defeating much higher-frequency radar from front-on rather than low-frequency radars from above. During World War I , the Germans experimented with the use of Cellon ( Cellulose acetate ), a transparent covering material, in an attempt to reduce

2058-433: Is highly unlikely and certainly systems such as Tamara and Kolchuga , which are often described as counter-stealth radars, are not designed to detect stray electromagnetic fields of this type. Such systems are designed to detect intentional, higher power emissions such as radar and communication signals. Stealth aircraft are deliberately operated to avoid or reduce such emissions. Current Radar Warning Receivers look for

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2156-497: Is offset by the reduction in fewer supporting aircraft that are required to provide air cover, air-defense suppression and electronic counter measures, making stealth aircraft " force multipliers ". Stealth aircraft often have skins made with radiation-absorbent materials (RAMs). Some of these contain carbon black particles, while some contain tiny iron spheres . There are many materials used in RAMs, and some are classified, particularly

2254-444: Is possible to build a synthetic aperture radar image of an aircraft target using passive multistatic radar, possibly detailed enough to enable automatic target recognition . In December 2007, SAAB researchers revealed details for a system called Associative Aperture Synthesis Radar (AASR) that would employ a large array of inexpensive and redundant transmitters and receivers that could detect targets when they directly pass between

2352-678: Is the P-18 radar . The Dutch company Thales Nederland , formerly known as Holland Signaal , developed a naval phased-array radar called SMART-L , which is operated at L Band and has counter-stealth. All ships of the Royal Dutch Navy 's De Zeven Provinciën class carry, among others, the SMART-L radar. Over-the-horizon radar is a concept increasing radar's effective range over conventional radar. The Australian JORN Jindalee Operational Radar Network can overcome certain stealth characteristics. It

2450-648: The Adriatic Sea . During the ten weeks of the conflict, NATO aircraft flew over 38,000 combat missions. On 24 March at 19:00 UTC NATO started the bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. F/A-18 Hornets of the Spanish Air Force were the first NATO planes to bomb Belgrade and perform SEAD operations. BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from ships and submarines in the Adriatic. In addition to fixed-wing air power, one battalion of Apache helicopters from

2548-579: The BLU-114/B "Soft-Bomb" ), water-processing plants and the state-owned broadcaster. The Dutch foreign minister Jozias van Aartsen said that the strikes on Yugoslavia should be such as to weaken their military capabilities and prevent further humanitarian atrocities. Due to restrictive media laws, media in Yugoslavia carried little coverage of what its forces were doing in Kosovo, or of other countries' attitudes to

2646-670: The Central Intelligence Agency outside the normal NATO targeting regime. The US president Bill Clinton apologised for the bombing, saying it was an accident. The US gave China financial compensation. The bombing strained relations between the People's Republic of China and NATO, provoking angry demonstrations outside Western embassies in Beijing. The victims were Xu Xinghu, his wife Zhu Ying, and Shao Yunhuan. An October 1999 investigation by The Observer and Politiken argued that

2744-730: The Chengdu J-20 , and the Sukhoi Su-57 . While no aircraft is completely invisible to radar, stealth aircraft make it more difficult for conventional radar to detect or track the aircraft effectively, increasing the odds of an aircraft avoiding detection by enemy radar and/or avoiding being successfully targeted by radar guided weapons . Stealth is a combination of passive low observable (LO) features and active emitters such as low-probability-of-intercept radars , radios and laser designators. These are typically combined with operational measures such as carefully planning mission maneuvers to minimize

2842-654: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War . The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an agreement was reached that led to the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Army from Kosovo, and the establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo , a UN peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. The official NATO operation code name

2940-564: The Kosovo conflict were stated at the North Atlantic Council meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 12 April 1999: Operation Allied Force predominantly used a large-scale air campaign to destroy Yugoslav military infrastructure from high altitudes. After the third day of aerial bombing, NATO had destroyed almost all of its strategic military targets in Yugoslavia. Despite this,

3038-618: The UN Security Council for military action, but were opposed by China and Russia, who indicated that they would veto such a measure. As a result, NATO launched its campaign without the UN's approval, stating that it was inter alia a humanitarian intervention . The UN Charter prohibits the use of force except in the case of a decision by the Security Council under Article 42 , under Article 51 or under Article 53 . Three days after

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3136-628: The US Army 's 11th Aviation Regiment was deployed to help combat missions. The regiment was augmented by pilots from Fort Bragg 's 82nd Airborne Attack Helicopter Battalion. The battalion secured AH-64 Apache attack helicopter refueling sites, and a small team forward deployed to the Albania – Kosovo border to identify targets for NATO air strikes. The campaign was initially designed to destroy Yugoslav air defences and high-value military targets. NATO military operations increasingly attacked Yugoslav units on

3234-652: The United States Invasion of Panama . Later missions involve theoretical conflicts in Korea and the Soviet Union , and move on to science-fiction events involving secret missions and UFOs . This flight simulation video game article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This shooter game -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Stealth aircraft Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using

3332-587: The 5th Allied Tactical Air Force. The Hague Tribunal ruled that over 700,000 Kosovo Albanians were forcibly displaced by Yugoslav forces into neighbouring Albania and Macedonia , with many thousands internally displaced within Kosovo. By April, the United Nations reported 850,000 refugees had left Kosovo. Another 230,000 were listed as internally displaced persons (IDPs): driven from their homes, but still inside Kosovo. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping claimed at

3430-661: The British/German/Italian/Spanish Eurofighter and the Swedish Gripen also make extensive use of IRST. In air combat, the optronic suite allows: For ground targets, the suite allows: VHF radar systems have wavelengths comparable to aircraft feature sizes and should exhibit scattering in the resonance region rather than the optical region, allowing most stealth aircraft to be detected. This has prompted Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Radio Engineering (NNIIRT) to develop VHF AESAs such as

3528-806: The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined NATO by depositing instruments of accession in accordance with Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty at a ceremony in Independence, Missouri . These nations did not participate directly in hostilities. A large element of the operation was the air forces of NATO, relying heavily on the US Air Force and Navy using the F-16, F-15 , F-117 , F-14 , F/A-18 , EA-6B , B-52 , KC-135 , KC-10 , AWACS , and JSTARS from bases throughout Europe and from aircraft carriers in

3626-563: The F-117 Nighthawk are aerodynamically unstable in all three axes and require constant flight corrections from a fly-by-wire (FBW) flight system to maintain controlled flight. As for the B-2 Spirit , which was based on the development of the flying wing aircraft by Jack Northrop in 1940, this design allowed for a stable aircraft with sufficient yaw control, even without vertical surfaces such as rudders. Earlier stealth aircraft (such as

3724-508: The F-117 Nighthawk was used in the Gulf War, where 42 F-117s flew 1,299 sorties and scored 1,664 direct hits with laser-guided bombs while not suffering battle damage, while hitting 1,600 high-value targets in Iraq. F-117s flew approximately 168 strikes against Scud -associated targets while accumulating 6,905 flight hours. Only 2.5% of the American aircraft in Iraq were F-117s, yet they struck 40% of

3822-477: The F-117 and B-2) lack afterburners , because the hot exhaust would increase their infrared footprint, and flying faster than the speed of sound would produce an obvious sonic boom , as well as surface heating of the aircraft skin , which also increases the infrared footprint. As a result, their performance in air combat maneuvering required in a dogfight would never match that of a dedicated fighter aircraft. This

3920-554: The F-117) reflects energy away from the transmitter's line of sight , effectively increasing the radar cross section (RCS) in other directions, which the passive radars monitor. Such a system typically uses either low frequency broadcast TV and FM radio signals (at which frequencies controlling the aircraft's signature is more difficult). Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign with support of DARPA , have shown that it

4018-518: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia". Clark then delegated responsibility for the conduct of Operation Allied Force to the Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Southern Europe, who in turn delegated control to the Commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe, Lieutenant-General Michael C. Short, USAF. Operationally, the day-to-day responsibility for executing missions was delegated to the Commander of

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4116-641: The Iraqis they took steps to preserve their assets. Prior to the conflict's start Yugoslav SAMs were preemptively dispersed away from their garrisons and practiced emission control to decrease NATO's ability to locate them. The Yugoslav integrated air defence system (IADS) was extensive, including underground command sites and buried landlines, which allowed for information to be shared between systems. Active radar in one area could target NATO aircraft for SAMs and AAA in another area with no active radar, further limiting NATO's ability to target air defence weapons. During

4214-517: The Kosovo War: On 20 March 1999, OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission monitors withdrew from Kosovo citing a "steady deterioration in the security situation", and on 23 March 1999 Richard Holbrooke returned to Brussels and announced that peace talks had failed. Hours before the announcement, Yugoslavia announced on national television it had declared a state of emergency citing an "imminent threat of war ... against Yugoslavia by Nato" and began

4312-483: The NEBO SVU, which is capable of performing target acquisition for Surface-to-air missile batteries. Despite the advantages offered by VHF radar, their longer wavelengths result in poor resolution compared to comparably sized X band radar array. As a result, these systems must be very large before they can have the resolution for an engagement radar . An example of a ground-based VHF radar with counter-stealth capability

4410-522: The Prowlers provided radar jamming assistance (though they could carry HARMs as well). Additional support came in the form of Italian and German Tornado ECRs which also carried HARMs. USAF Compass Call EC-130s were used to intercept and jam Yugoslav communications, while RC-135s conducted bomb damage assessment . The standard tactic for F-16CJs was for two pairs to come at a suspected air defence site from opposite directions, ensuring total coverage of

4508-582: The US bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade , killing three Chinese journalists and injuring at least 20. The US defence secretary explained the cause of the error as "because the bombing instructions were based on an outdated map", but the Chinese government did not accept this explanation. The Chinese government issued a statement on the day of the bombing, stating that it was a "barbarian act". The target had been selected by

4606-707: The United States (in 1977), Russia (in 2000) and China (in 2011). As of December 2020 , the only combat-ready stealth aircraft in service are the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit (1997), the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor (2005), the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (2015), the Chengdu J-20 (2017), and the Sukhoi Su-57 (2020), with a number of other countries developing their own designs. There are also various aircraft with reduced detectability, either unintentionally or as

4704-671: The United States using the F-22 Raptor , B-2 Spirit, and the F-35 Lightning II to perform a variety of operations. The F-22 made its combat debut over Syria in September 2014 as part of the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS . From February 2018, Su-57s performed the first international flight as they were spotted landing at the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. These Su-57s were deployed along with four Sukhoi Su-35 fighters, four Sukhoi Su-25s, and one Beriev A-50 AEW&C aircraft. It

4802-560: The Yugoslav army continued to function and to attack Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) insurgents inside Kosovo, mostly in the regions of Northern and Southwest Kosovo. NATO bombed strategic economic and societal targets, such as bridges, military facilities, official government facilities, and factories, using long-range cruise missiles to hit heavily defended targets, such as strategic installations in Belgrade and Pristina . The NATO air forces also targeted infrastructure, such as power plants (using

4900-435: The Yugoslav security forces in addition to between 489 and 528 civilians. It destroyed or damaged bridges, industrial plants, hospitals, schools, cultural monuments, and private businesses, as well as barracks and military installations. In total, between 9 and 11 tonnes of depleted uranium was dropped across all of Yugoslavia. In the days after the Yugoslav army withdrew, over 164,000 Serbs and 24,000 Roma left Kosovo. Many of

4998-469: The aircraft's radar cross-section , since common hard turns or opening bomb bay doors can more than double an otherwise stealthy aircraft's radar return. Stealth is accomplished by using a complex design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponent's sensors to detect, track, or attack the stealth aircraft. This philosophy takes into account the heat, sound, and other emissions of the aircraft which can also be used to locate it. Sensors are made to reduce

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5096-537: The attempt to make transparent aircraft was not proceeded with. In 1916, the British modified a small SS class airship for the purpose of night-time aerial reconnaissance over German lines on the Western Front . Fitted with a silenced engine and a black gas bag, the craft was both invisible and inaudible from the ground, but several night-time flights over German-held territory produced little useful intelligence, and

5194-583: The basis of United Nations war crimes charges against Milošević and other officials responsible for directing the Kosovo conflict. On 29 March 1999, to escape possible destruction, Jat Airways evacuated around 30 of its fleet of civilian aircraft from Belgrade to neighbouring countries for safekeeping. An important portion of the war involved combat between the Yugoslav Air Force and the opposing air forces from NATO. United States Air Force F-15s and F-16s flying from Italian airforce bases attacked

5292-540: The bombing had actually been deliberate as the Embassy was being used to transmit Yugoslav army communications, something that NATO, the UK and the USA emphatically denied. In April 2000, The New York Times published its own investigation, claiming to have found "no evidence that the bombing of the embassy had been a deliberate act." Solana directed Clark to "initiate air operations in

5390-573: The campaign and gave Yugoslav forces advanced warning of incoming NATO air raids. Kosovo's mountainous terrain also made it difficult for NATO to locate and target Yugoslav air defences, while at the same time the region's poor infrastructure limited where Yugoslav SAM and AAA sites could be placed. Yugoslav air defences were much fewer than what Iraq had deployed during the Gulf War – an estimated 16 SA-3 and 25 SA-6 surface-to-air missile systems, plus numerous anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) and man-portable air defence systems ( MANPADS ) – but unlike

5488-521: The capitulation of Yugoslavia in the Kosovo War marked a turning point in the history of warfare. It "proved that a war can be won by air power alone". Diplomacy had failed before the war, and the deployment of a large NATO ground force was still weeks away when Slobodan Milošević agreed to a peace deal. As for why air power should have been capable of acting alone, it has been argued by military analysts that there are several factors required. These normally come together only rarely, but all occurred during

5586-435: The commencement of hostilities, on 26 March 1999, the Security Council rejected the demand of Russia, Belarus and India for the cessation of the use of force against Yugoslavia. By the end of the war, the Yugoslavs had killed 1,500 to 2,131 combatants. 10,317 civilians were killed or missing, with 85% of those being Kosovar Albanian and some 848,000 were expelled from Kosovo. The NATO bombing killed about 1,000 members of

5684-411: The course of the 78-day campaign, but could confirm the destruction of only 3 of the original 25 SA-6 batteries. Over 800 SAMs were fired by Yugoslav forces at NATO aircraft, including 477 SA-6s and 124 confirmed MANPADS, for the downing of only two aircraft and several more damaged. According to a post-conflict US intelligence report, Yugoslav military had a spy in NATO's headquarters in Brussels who in

5782-410: The course of the campaign, NATO and Yugoslav forces engaged in a "cat-and-mouse" game which made suppressing the air defences difficult. Yugoslav SAM operators would turn their radars on for no longer than 20 seconds, allowing little chance for NATO anti-radiation missions to lock on to their emissions. While most Yugoslav SAMs were fired ballistically (with no radar guidance) at NATO aircraft, as many as

5880-556: The defending Yugoslav fighters, mainly MiG-29s , which were in poor condition due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance. Other NATO forces also contributed to the air war. Air combat incidents: Suppression of Enemy Air Defences or SEAD operations for NATO were principally carried out by the US Air Force, with fifty F-16CJ Block 50 Fighting Falcons , and the US Navy and Marines, with 30 EA-6B Prowlers . The F-16CJs carried AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles which would home in on and destroy any active Yugoslav radar systems, while

5978-487: The distances involved. The F-16CJ Block 50 could not carry the LANTIRN targeting pod, making it unable to conduct precision bombing at night. Moreover, the US Air Force had allowed its electronic warfare branch to atrophy in the years after the Gulf War . Training exercises were fewer and less rigorous than before, while veterans with electronic warfare experience were allowed to retire with no replacement. The results were less than satisfactory: response times to engaging

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6076-420: The early part of the conflict leaked flight plans and target details to the Yugoslav military, allowing Yugoslav military assets to move to avoid detection. Once NATO limited the number of people with access to its plans, the effect on "what the Serbs appeared to know" was immediate. The identity and nationality of the suspected 'spy' was not stated. While not directly related to the hostilities, on 12 March 1999

6174-422: The first time employed cyberwarfare to target Yugoslav air defence computer systems. A number of deficiencies in NATO's SEAD operations were revealed during the course of the bombing campaign. The EA-6Bs were noticeably slower than other aircraft, limiting their effectiveness in providing support, and land-based Prowlers flying out of Aviano Air Base were forced to carry extra fuel tanks instead of HARMs due to

6272-411: The first-ever F-35 strike in combat over Syria. The People's Republic of China started flight testing its Chengdu J-20 stealth multirole fighter around in 2011 and made its first public appearance at Airshow China 2016. The aircraft entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in March 2017. Another fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter from China, the Shenyang FC-31

6370-404: The ground, as well as continuing the strategic bombardment. Montenegro was bombed several times, and NATO refused to prop up the precarious position of its anti-Milošević leader, Milo Đukanović . " Dual-use " targets, used by civilians and military, were attacked, including bridges across the Danube , factories, power stations, telecommunications facilities, the headquarters of Yugoslav Leftists ,

6468-408: The hardpoints and the weapons mounted on those hardpoints will show up on radar systems. This option therefore represents a trade off between stealth or range and payload. External stores allow those aircraft to attack more targets further away, but will not allow for stealth during that mission as compared to a shorter range mission flying on just internal fuel and using only the more limited space of

6566-503: The humanitarian crisis; so, few members of the public expected bombing, instead thinking that a diplomatic deal would be made. While according to Noel Malcolm : "During the first few days of the air-strike campaign, while NATO confined itself to the use of cruise missiles and high-altitude bombing, the Serbian forces inside Kosovo embarked on a massive campaign of destruction, burning down houses and using tanks and artillery to reduce entire villages to rubble." According to John Keegan ,

6664-474: The idea was dropped. Nearly three decades later, the Horten Ho 229 flying wing fighter-bomber was developed in Nazi Germany during the last years of World War II . In 1983, its designer Reimar Horten claimed that he planned to add charcoal to the adhesive layers of the plywood skin of the production model to render it invisible to radar. This claim was investigated, as the Ho 229's lack of vertical surfaces, an inherent feature of all flying wing aircraft,

6762-491: The impact of low observable technologies and others have been proposed such as IRST (infrared search and track) systems to detect even reduced heat emissions, long wavelength radars to counter stealth shaping and RAM focused on shorter wavelength radar, or radar setups with multiple emitters to counter stealth shaping. However these have disadvantages compared to traditional radar against non-stealthy aircraft. Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by

6860-445: The internal weapon bays for armaments. Fully stealth aircraft carry all fuel and armament internally, which limits the payload. By way of comparison, the F-117 carries only two laser- or GPS-guided bombs, while a non-stealth attack aircraft can carry several times more. This requires the deployment of additional aircraft to engage targets that would normally require a single non-stealth attack aircraft. This apparent disadvantage however

6958-481: The killing of 45 Kosovar Albanians in the Račak massacre was reported in January 1999, NATO decided that the conflict could only be settled by introducing a military peacekeeping force to forcibly restrain the two sides. Yugoslavia refused to sign the Rambouillet Accords , which among other things called for 30,000 NATO peacekeeping troops in Kosovo; an unhindered right of passage for NATO troops on Yugoslav territory; immunity for NATO and its agents to Yugoslav law; and

7056-531: The materials that specific aircraft use. Stealth aircraft are typically more expensive to develop and manufacture. An example is the B-2 Spirit that is many times more expensive to manufacture and support than conventional bomber aircraft. The B-2 program cost the U.S. Air Force almost $ 45 billion. Passive (multistatic) radar , bistatic radar and especially multistatic radar systems detect some stealth aircraft better than conventional monostatic radars , since first-generation stealth technology (such as

7154-448: The most heavily fortified targets in Iraq in the opening phase of Operation Desert Storm and were the only coalition aircraft allowed to operate inside Baghdad's city limits and over its airspace. The F-117 while having sufficient stealth, also had a low visual signature. Even still, if the F-117 was visually acquired, it, like all aircraft, were subject to visual air-to-air interception. This

7252-537: The receivers/transmitters and create a shadow. The system was originally designed to detect stealthy cruise missiles and should be just as effective against low-flying stealth aircraft. That the array could contain a large amount of inexpensive equipment could potentially offer some "protection" against attacks by expensive anti-radiation missiles (ARMs). Some analysts claim Infra-red search and track systems (IRSTs) can be deployed against stealth aircraft, because any aircraft surface heats up due to air friction and with

7350-626: The refugee outflows were caused by a mass panic in the Kosovo Albanian population, and that the exodus was generated principally by fear of NATO bombs. The United Nations and international human rights organisations were convinced the crisis resulted from a policy of ethnic cleansing . Many accounts from both Serbs and Albanians identified Yugoslav security forces and paramilitaries as the culprits, responsible for systematically emptying towns and villages of their Albanian inhabitants by forcing them to flee. Atrocities against civilians in Kosovo were

7448-403: The regular pings of energy from mechanically swept radars while fifth generation jet fighters use Low Probability of Intercept Radars with no regular repeat pattern. Stealth aircraft are still vulnerable to detection while and immediately after using their weaponry. Since stealth payload (reduced RCS bombs and cruise missiles ) is not yet generally available, and ordnance mount points create

7546-528: The remaining non-Albanian civilians (as well as Albanians perceived as collaborators) were victims of abuse which included beatings, abductions, and murders. After Kosovo and other Yugoslav Wars , Serbia became home to the highest number of refugees and IDPs (including Kosovo Serbs) in Europe. The bombing was NATO's second major combat operation, following the 1995 bombing campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina . It

7644-553: The right to use local roads, ports, railways, and airports without payment and requisition public facilities for its use free of cost. NATO then prepared to install the peacekeepers by force, using this refusal to justify the bombings. In its Statement Issued at the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the North Atlantic Council held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, on 12th April 1999 three weeks after

7742-520: The scene shortly after the bombing. The Yugoslav government insisted that NATO had targeted civilians. On 23 April, NATO bombed the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters killing sixteen civilian employees. This was labeled as a war crime by Amnesty International . NATO claimed that the bombing was justified because the station operated as a propaganda tool for the Milošević regime. On 7 May,

7840-405: The start of hostilities on 23 March 1999, the collective said that "The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) has repeatedly violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. The unrestrained assault by Yugoslav military, police and paramilitary forces, under the direction of President Milosevic, on Kosovar civilians has created a massive humanitarian catastrophe which also threatens to destabilise

7938-618: The strategic targets, dropping 2,000 tons of precision-guided munitions and striking their targets with an 80% success rate. However the F-117 still had flaws; it had to refuel and was defenesless in an enemy attack. All F-117 sorties had to be refueled. In the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia two stealth aircraft were used by the United States: the veteran F-117 Nighthawk, and the newly introduced B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bomber. The F-117 performed its usual role of striking precision high-value targets and performed well, although one F-117

8036-467: The surrounding region. Hundreds of thousands of people have been expelled ruthlessly from Kosovo by the FRY authorities. We condemn these appalling violations of human rights and the indiscriminate use of force by the Yugoslav government. These extreme and criminally irresponsible policies, which cannot be defended on any grounds, have made necessary and justify the military action by NATO." NATO 's objectives in

8134-492: The target area, and relaying information to incoming strike craft so they could adjust their flight path accordingly. Where possible, NATO attempted to proactively destroy air defence sites, using F-16CGs and F-15E Strike Eagles carrying conventional munitions including cluster bombs , AGM-130 boosted bombs, and AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon missiles. Many NATO aircraft made use of new towed decoys designed to lure away any missiles fired at them. Reportedly, NATO also for

8232-414: The time that the refugee crisis was produced by a coordinated Yugoslav plan of ethnic cleansing codenamed " Operation Horseshoe ". The existence and character of such a plan has been called into question. Serbian Television claimed that huge columns of refugees were fleeing Kosovo because of NATO's bombing, not Yugoslav military operations. The Yugoslav side and its Western supporters claimed

8330-544: The train had been traveling too fast and the bomb was too close to the target for it to divert in time. The German daily Frankfurter Rundschau reported in January 2000 that the NATO video had been shown at three times its real speed, giving a misleading impression of the train's speed. On 14 April, NATO planes bombed ethnic Albanians near Koriša who had been used by Yugoslav forces as human shields. Yugoslav troops took TV crews to

8428-454: The usual demands of flight, the design of a stealth or low-observability aircraft aims to reduce radar and infrared (thermal) detection, including: The distance at which a target can be detected for a given radar configuration varies with the fourth root of its RCS. Therefore, in order to cut the detection distance to one tenth, the RCS should be reduced by a factor of 10,000. Rotorcraft introduce

8526-637: The visibility of military aircraft . Single examples of the Fokker E.III Eindecker fighter monoplane , the Albatros C.I two-seat observation biplane , and the Linke-Hofmann R.I prototype heavy bomber were covered with Cellon . However, it proved ineffective, and even counterproductive, as sunlight glinting from the covering made the aircraft even more visible. The material was also found to be quickly degraded both by sunlight and in-flight temperature changes, so

8624-475: The wreckage it was revealed this helicopter had stealth characteristics, making this the first publicly known operational use of a stealth helicopter . Stealth aircraft were used in the 2011 military intervention in Libya , where B-2 Spirits dropped 40 bombs on a Libyan airfield with concentrated air defenses in support of the UN no-fly zone. Stealth aircraft will continue to play a valuable role in air combat with

8722-402: Was Operation Allied Force ( Serbian : Савезничка сила / Saveznička sila ) whereas the United States called it Operation Noble Anvil ( Serbian : Племенити наковањ / Plemeniti nakovanj ); in Yugoslavia the operation was incorrectly called Merciful Angel ( Serbian : Милосрдни анђео / Milosrdni anđeo ), possibly as a result of a misunderstanding or mistranslation. NATO's intervention

8820-474: Was shot down by a Serbian Isayev S-125 'Neva-M' missile commanded by Colonel Zoltán Dani . The then-new B-2 Spirit was highly successful, destroying 33% of all Serbian bombing targets in the first eight weeks of U.S. involvement in the war. During this war, B-2s flew non-stop to Kosovo from their home base in Missouri and back. In the 2003 invasion of Iraq , F-117 Nighthawks and B-2 Spirits were used, and this

8918-763: Was easily circumvented by flying at night. The U.S, UK, and Israel are the only countries to have used stealth aircraft in combat. These deployments include the United States invasion of Panama , the first Gulf War , the Kosovo Conflict , the War in Afghanistan , the War in Iraq and the 2011 military intervention in Libya . The first use of stealth aircraft was in the U.S. invasion of Panama, where F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft were used to drop bombs on enemy airfields and positions while evading enemy radar. In 1990

9016-607: Was prompted by Yugoslavia's bloodshed and ethnic cleansing of Albanians, which drove the Albanians into neighbouring countries and had the potential to destabilize the region. Yugoslavia's actions had already provoked condemnation by international organisations and agencies such as the UN, NATO , and various INGOs . Yugoslavia's refusal to sign the Rambouillet Accords was initially offered as justification for NATO's use of force. NATO countries attempted to gain authorisation from

9114-598: Was the first time that NATO had used military force without the expressed endorsement of the UN Security Council and thus, international legal approval, which triggered debates over the legitimacy of the intervention . A NATO -facilitated ceasefire between the KLA and Yugoslav forces was signed on 15 October 1998, but both sides broke it two months later and fighting resumed. UN Security Council resolution 1160 , resolution 1199 and resolution 1203 had been disregarded. When

9212-515: Was the last time the F-117 would see combat. F-117s dropped satellite-guided strike munitions on selected targets, with high success. B-2 Spirits conducted 49 sorties in the invasion, releasing more than 1.5 million pounds of munitions. During the May 2011 operation to kill Osama bin Laden , one of the helicopters used to clandestinely insert U.S. troops into Pakistan crashed in the bin Laden compound. From

9310-465: Was to target the last aircraft in a departing formation, on the assumption that it received less protection, was flown by a less-experienced pilot, and/or was low on fuel needed to make evasive manoeuvres. However, because AAA were limited to deploying close to roads for mobility and became bogged down in difficult terrain, NATO pilots learned to avoid these by staying at least five kilometers away from roads, never flying along them and only crossing them at

9408-706: Was unimportant in the case of these two aircraft since both were designed to be bombers. More recent design techniques allow for stealthy designs such as the F-22 without compromising aerodynamic performance. Newer stealth aircraft, like the F-22, F-35 and the Su-57 , have performance characteristics that meet or exceed those of current front-line jet fighters due to advances in other technologies such as flight control systems, engines, airframe construction and materials. The high level of computerization and large amount of electronic equipment found inside stealth aircraft are often claimed to make them vulnerable to passive detection. This

9506-458: Was used, and confirmed that it would have been a poor absorber if used, concluding that the Ho 229 did not have stealth characteristics and was never intended to be a stealth aircraft. Modern stealth aircraft first became possible when Denys Overholser, a mathematician working for Lockheed Aircraft during the 1970s, adopted a mathematical model developed by Petr Ufimtsev , a Soviet scientist, to develop

9604-407: Was virtually invisible to radar. Lockheed soon developed the Have Blue into F-117. Reduced radar cross section is only one of five factors the designers addressed to create a truly stealthy design such as the F-22. The F-22 has also been designed to disguise its infrared emissions to make it harder to detect by infrared homing ("heat seeking") surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. The F-22 puts

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