'Key to China winning future wars': Beijing unveils new stealth technology

A new breakthrough in stealth technology from China promises to challenge existing limits. Could this innovation become the key to dominance in future conflicts?

Chinese military scientists have developed a novel stealth material capable of defeating anti-stealth radars, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, citing a recent study.

 

Laboratory tests reportedly reveal that this material can effectively absorb low-frequency electromagnetic waves from multiple angles, despite its ultra-thin structure, equivalent to just two sheets of printing paper — a feat the report said was once considered impossible. 

 

What are anti-stealth radars?

 

Anti-stealth radars emit long-wavelength electromagnetic waves, sometimes reaching centimetres or metres. Traditional stealth coatings on aircraft are too thin to absorb such long-wave signals effectively, explained the report.

 

China's anti-stealth radar systems, deployed along its coastline and on naval ships, have reportedly been capable of detecting stealth aircraft like the United States’ (US’) F-22 and F-35 from considerable distances. 

 

What solution have Chinese scientists developed?

 

Researchers at the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) have reportedly created a lightweight, flexible, and scalable material capable of converting electromagnetic waves with wavelengths ranging from 70 cm to 20 cm into heat. These wavelengths fall within the operating bandwidths of most anti-stealth radars, specifically the P-band and L-band.

 

According to the report, the material’s adaptability makes it suitable for use on aircraft and other weapon platforms requiring stealth capabilities. 

 

What are the unique features of this Chinese stealth material?

 

The new coating employs a metal circuit to convert electromagnetic waves into heat, effectively rendering anti-stealth radars ineffective, explained the report. Quoting the project team led by Cui Kaibo, a researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Complex Electromagnetic Environment Effects on Electronics and Information System, the report said that "emerging artificial composite materials" can exhibit "unusual properties" and "achieve physical phenomena and applications that natural materials cannot". The team published its research in a peer-reviewed paper in the Chinese-language journal Telecommunication Engineering in October.

 

This material, classified as a metamaterial, uses a specialised metal circuit to achieve its effect. When low-frequency electromagnetic waves strike the coating, they generate currents on the surface of the metal foil layer. These currents are then converted into heat, which dissipates quickly into the air, explained the report.

 

Why is this Chinese stealth technology important?

 

This new technology achieves ultra-wideband low-frequency stealth effects without relying on heavy and expensive magnetic ingredients, explained the report. This makes the material cost-effective and scalable for use on a variety of military equipment. Cui and his team believe this innovation could be "the key for China to win future wars".

 

China currently holds the most patents in metamaterials, revealed the report. At the recent China Airshow in Zhuhai, a private enterprise based in Shenzhen reportedly unveiled the world’s first drone entirely covered in metamaterials. This drone is said to boast unprecedented stealth capabilities, with mass production set to begin next year at a factory in Zhuzhou, Hunan.