The US emphasizes military secrecy with fighter jets like the F-22 and F-35. But a new study in China has shown that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites can be used to record these planes on radar. But do satellite internet systems violate privacy?
China can detect F-22 and F-35 jets with Starlink
Chinese researchers claim they can detect stealth aircraft using Starlink satellites. In an experiment off the coast of China, Professor Yi Jianxin of Wuhan University and his team successfully detected a small drone similar to a stealth fighter jet.
According to the research paper published by Professor Yi, the drone was illuminated by electromagnetic radiation from a Starlink satellite passing over the Philippines. Accordingly, it became visible on the radar screen even though it was not emitting an active radar signal.
Stealth aircraft often have radar-absorbing coatings and special designs to avoid ground-based radars. However, the researcher said that signals from space-based systems that cover a large area, such as Starlink, can neutralize these features of stealth aircraft.
If this technology is successful, it could raise major privacy issues between China and the US. In other words, US fighter jets such as the F-22 and F-35 could lose the stealth features they use to infiltrate enemy airspace.
By eliminating stealth, the Starlink-based detection system could make the F-35 jet vulnerable to China. It is also known that China has previously used this technology to target stealth aircraft that can evade ground-based radars.
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