BEIJING, Oct 15 ― China has claimed its latest passive radar system, the DWL002, will make stealth fighter jets like the United States’ F-22 and Europe’s Neuron identifiable and therefore obsolete.

The DWL002 uses paired primary wideband apertures, setting it apart from its predecessors, including Russian-made radars such as the KRTP Tamara series and the ERA Vera-E.

Features such as heat-absorbing surface materials, smooth surfaces and hidden engines render stealth fighter jets such as the F-22 undetectable by radars.

However, China’s DWL002 passive radar system, which consists of three stations, reads electronic signals emitted by aircraft to detect their presence.

The DWL002 passive radar system can detect fighter aircraft within 400 kilometres. For airborne early warning and control aircraft, the radar system can detect them within 600 kilometres. The range of the system means that China would be able to identify aircraft flying over Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands.

However, critics have found China’s claims questionable. According to a report by Air Power Australia, the only important breakthrough of DWL002 is the use of paired primary wideband apertures. ― Reuters

The range of the new passive radar system means that China would be able to identify aircraft flying over Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands. — Reuters pic