First-of-its-kind military radar developed

China Electronics Technology Group Corp, one of the world's largest suppliers of defense electronics, is promoting a new radar system that the State-owned conglomerate said is the first of its kind in the world.

Developed by the CETC 14th Institute in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, the YLC-2E radar is on display at the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, which opened on Tuesday in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, and runs through Sunday. It is China's newest hardware for countering stealth aircraft, according to the institute, the country's largest and most renowned developer of military radar.

A researcher at the institute, who wished to be identified only as Zheng, said the S-band multifunctional radar incorporates state-of-the-art technologies and is capable of detecting and tracking stealth fighter jets, as well as guiding missiles toward the targets.

"In modern wars, stealth combat planes are among core threats to ground assets, so it is very important to figure out effective methods to handle such threats," Zheng said. "We have developed several models of meter-wave radar systems that can detect and track stealth targets. The YLC-2E is a new addition to our portfolio of anti-stealth radar and is the first in the world based on the S-band mechanism."

S-band radio waves are a common set of frequencies and wavelengths used for everything from air traffic control radar to household Wi-Fi.

The researcher said the YLC-2E features a modular design, world-class hardware and intelligent algorithms, so it boasts excellent detection capability.

The radar system incorporates high-power transmitter/receiver modules across an array that spans half a badminton court and has optimized power efficiency. Both of the traits enable the radar to generate substantial energy for identifying stealth targets.

In addition, it uses sophisticated algorithms, which can further enhance the system's detection and tracking performance, and allow it to operate under an enemy's electronic jamming interference, he noted.

Wu Peixin, a defense industry observer, said that China has become a leader in the field of anti-stealth radar, and its many radar capabilities are the best in the world.

"The new radar and its meter-wave predecessors work on different bands, so if they were deployed together, they can form a massive surveillance network that no stealth aircraft will be able to sneak through," he said.