Overview of low observable technology and its effects on combat aircraft survivability

The introduction of low observable (LO) technology on combat aircraft has p roduced a leap in aircraft survivability, but it has also raised some diffi cult questions. How do you quantify survivability, and because new technolo gy tends to be expensive, how LO does an aircraft need to be to accomplish its mission? This paper will show how low observability dramatically improv es combat aircraft survivability by reducing an air defense's ability to de tect, track, intercept, and destroy an LO aircraft. Important aircraft sign atures that can be detected such as radar, visual, infrared, and intentiona l emissions are discussed in detail as well as methods to reduce those sign atures. LO and mission planning tactics' imparts on threat system capabilit ies are examined and examples of LO aircraft penetration of a notional host ile air defense are shown. The conclusion is that through the use of missio n planning tactics and low signature, LO aircraft can survivably penetrate heavily defended air space with little support to accomplish their mission.