Modern warfare success depends in large part on dominating enemy air space. Air superiority is needed for mobilizing troops, maintaining logistics supply chains, and neutralizing the enemy’s movement. After the invention of radar by the British in the 1930s, bomber and fighter aircraft became increasingly vulnerable to enemy air defense. To overcome this, the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force developed low radar signature stealth aircraft with the capability to enter the enemy’s airspace. Since then, several countries claim that they have anti-stealth technologies to counter and detect stealth aircraft. Some analysts argue against stealth aircraft based on cost effect-benefit analyses in comparison with electronic attack aircraft, drones, and hypersonic missiles. Until anti-stealth technology proves its supremacy over either manned or unmanned stealth aircraft, stealth technology is going to persist. Using stealth aircraft against small nation-states or non-state actors may be costly, but to maintain a country’s edge over military peer-competitors it is unquestionably needed.
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