Simviation Forums

Just wondering, with some of the US' stealth aircraft, like the B-2, F-22, and soon to be F-35; if the aircraft is not talking to air traffic control, does the USA have radars that can actually detect them?

When not flying in combat, they would have their transponders on, allowing ATC to see them just like any other aircraft.  Modern ATC radars don't depend on actual skin contact, but the transmissions from a transponder to locate and id aircraft, although they do still have the skin contact ability.

Yeah most of the time for training they are very talkative with the ATC, so the stay out of the way from other jets that don't see them.

Active radar reflectors or flying with the gear doors open

Active radar reflectors or flying with the gear doors open

It is much easier than that.  Like I said, all they have to do is turn their transponder on, and they show up just like the rest of us.  Most ATC radars don't rely on "skin paints" anyway, they use transponders to see aircraft.

You hear them pretty regularly on the center radio frequencies out over Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri etc., especially at night.

The B-2's have the coolest callsigns, "Death", "Reaper", etc.