By Xie Ruiqiang

The YLC-8E radar is a mobile UHF stealth target detection radar.

BEIJING, Nov. 14 -- The "binary stars" of China's anti-stealth radars were unveiled at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China). At the airshow, the 14th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) displayed two anti-stealth radars including the YLC-8E high-mobility anti-stealth air defense warning radar and the YLC-2E S-band long range multi-role radar. Though designed through different technical routes, the radars both have powerful anti-stealth capabilities, earning them the fame of the "binary stars" in the field of anti-stealth radars.

The YLC-2E radar made its debut at the airshow. Getting rid of the reliance on low frequency band or meter-wave radar like traditional stealth radars, it becomes the first non-meter-wave high-performance anti-stealth product in the international market.

YLC-8E: Achieving extreme performance of "meter-wave radars"

As the eyes on the battlefield, radars play a core role in anti-stealth operations as the key to penetrating the "stealth cover" of stealth fighters. Traditionally, the main solution to counter stealth technology is to detect stealth targets through frequency bands, which is commonly referred to as meter-wave radar. Because of its long electromagnetic wavelength, the wave will form a "diffraction" phenomenon after striking the stealth aircraft, bringing it the natural advantage of detecting stealth targets. This feature has been verified in practice.

The 14th Research Institute of CETC, hailed as China's "anti-stealth radar flagship store", has introduced to the international markets its YLC-8B, YLC-8E, SLC-7 and other radar products, most of which are the commonly called meter-wave radars. Among them, the YLC-8B, after making its debut in 2016, is known as the flagship model of China's anti-stealth radars with its powerful anti-stealth performance.

The YLC-8E is an upgrade based on the YLC-8B. The low frequency band radar itself has anti-stealth capabilities, but previous radars have difficulties in meeting the requirements of anti-stealth operations in the new situation due to its large size, low mobility and outdated automation level. The YLC-8E successfully overcame such shortcomings and became the world's first mobile UHF stealth target detection radar.

It is learned that the YLC-8E has successfully implemented the anti-stealth radar design concept of combining frequency bands and energy anti-stealth designs by means of applying the new generation semiconductor technology, improved single-channel transmission power and advanced technical systems and algorithms, thereby ensuring a strong anti-stealth capability. These strengths make it an advanced anti-stealth radar product that achieves the extreme design and performance of traditional meter-wave radars.

The YLC-2E radar has powerful anti-stealth detection capabilities.

YLC-2E: Non-meter-wave anti-stealth radar

The frequency band or meter-wave anti-stealth radar still has its advantages. In addition to its natural technological advantages, its relatively low cost makes it an essential player in the anti-stealth warning system. Due to the physical limitations, however, meter-wave radars have some deficiencies in detection accuracy. To solve the problem, the 14th Research Institute of CETC tried to get rid of the shackles of the "anti-stealth only by meter-wave radar" concept and eliminate the reliance of anti-stealth radar on low frequency bands. Eventually, it rolled out the first non-meter-wave anti-stealth radar in the international military trade market, the YLC-2E.

Even without frequency band anti-stealth advantages like such radars as the YLC-8E, the YLC-2E has more advantages in energy. A large number of high-power radar T/R components can be placed on the radar array surface equivalent to the half of a standard badminton court area, yielding extremely high energy application efficiency through optimized design to enable the radar antenna to produce amazingly great energy, which creates the hardware basis for energy anti-stealth. As for the hardware basis, the YLC-2E uses intelligent algorithm software to optimize the radar's scheduling of target detection, ensuring that the radar can identify small stealth targets in the vast sky and have a powerful performance of anti-interference. In short, through robust radar energy and advanced algorithms, neither of which can be neglected, the YLC-2E achieves powerful anti-stealth capabilities.

The YLC-2E has a detection effect comparable to traditional frequency band anti-stealth radars such as the YLC-8B and the YLC-8E, as well as a similar stealth target detection range.

According to the experts, the YLC-2E is not substitutional but complementary to the frequency band anti-stealth radars such as the YLC-8B and the YLC-8E. The meter-wave and other low frequency band radars have cost advantages, while the YLC-2E has more comprehensive performance and diversified applications, which can support anti-stealth operational systems more efficiently.