Re: How do stealth aircraft avoid bumping into each other?

On May 31, 9:57 am, Typhoon502 <jeb.h...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On May 31, 11:21 am, Rob Arndt <teuton...@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Why would it not be possible to communicate with a lasercom or other
lights-communication device between a/c? The Germans invented light
beam transmission communications in WW2 and German IR beam coms were
used during the Cold War between the GDR and FRG spies; of course,
these were straight line of sight communications with the devices
evenly aligned... but no one could intercept nor jam their
transmissions.

Technology is better now, so it would seem practical to have such a
system installed in strike a/c that operate only at night. Emergency
burst transponders might be my second suggestion... we don't want
"things that go bump in the night" to include F-117s :)

I imagine preflight briefings focus a whole lot on deconflicting
flight paths and otherwise planning who goes where and when. And as
long as you know that your flight is within X miles of lead, I would
expect that you can program your radio transmitters to x-mit just
enough power to cover that sphere and not beyond, so you aren't stuck
having to be sure that your directional emitters are pointing to and
locked up with the other aircraft in your flight. Add in burst x-mit
and encryption, and you've got a pretty tight, LPI communications
system.



If they know their jobs and their objectives are planned properly
there is no reason for them to break radio silence or come within a
dangerous distance of each other.
However, since they have to follow a TANKER around to navigate
properly it open to question whether they can do anything else right.



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