In certain quarters, the application of stealth technology in warfare translates to camouflage. Therefore, stealth envisages the use of technological advancements to defeat the available detection systems operating using the electromagnetic spectrum. Much military personnel attributes the use of such systems not only to the ability to defeating the detection systems but also to achieving the benefits of surprising the enemy. “Using stealth technology, military planners can now achieve nearly total surprise” (Hadley, 15). Through the application of technology, such surprises achieve high levels of military success.

In the process of understanding how stealth technology operates against radars, it is critical to have a clear insight into the basic uncomplicated working principles of radars. In aerial warfare globally, radars continue to gain recognition as the most crucial sensors since their development during World War 2. Principally, the radar has the ability to pick up reflective objects and aircraft amidst the prevailing weather conditions, during the day or at night. The advantage accrued to radars is the distance that the signal of the radars can sense.

In addition to the above, radars give precise information on target parameters such as target vector, range, and elevation. This enables the effective engagement of the target. Other sensors such as optical, infrared, and acoustic have experimented with over the years. Nonetheless, acoustic methods only issued rough indications of the target parameters. On the other hand, optical sensors had inefficiencies in determining the targets from long distances, poor accuracy in the exact positioning as well as inadequate extraction capabilities of the target parameters. Despite the fact that infrared sensors were perfect in determining the target parameters, these sensors were severely affected by extreme weather conditions, hence required their collaboration with radars to achieve the desired excellence.

All radar systems operate in a similar manner. A Travelling Wave Tube (TWT) or a magnetron generates electromagnetic energy. Before being channeled to a directional antenna, the energy is modulated suitably.