Radar Cross Section Statistical Characterization & Detection Probability Calculations of Stealth Aircraft

The radar cross section (RCS) of stealth aircraft exhibits significant variations with respect to the azimuth angle, while the angle of incidence of radar waves during flight is inherently random. This randomness necessitates the analysis of RCS using a statistical approach to understand how variations in the incident angle influence the probability of detecting stealth aircraft. In this study, we investigate the RCS of the low-observable B-2 Spirit stealth aircraft at the 300MHz frequency, focusing on its behavior under varying illumination angles and polarizations. By leveraging RCS heat-maps, we identify that significant RCS peaks are observed only when the aircraft is illuminated from specific angular and polarization configurations. To model these variations, the RCS is statistically characterized using the Log-Normal and beta distributions. This statistical characterization enables a more precise analysis of detection probabilities by segmenting the RCS data into smaller angular windows for different illumination scenarios. Our findings reveal that the aircraft exhibits higher detection probabilities with low SNR under HH-polarization compared to VV-polarization. Furthermore, the study highlights that minor changes in the illumination angle can lead to substantial variations in detection performance, underscoring the aircraft's sophisticated design features that enhance its survivability. These results provide valuable insights for radar system optimization and the development of detection strategies against low-observable targets.