Almost 28 years have passed since the first flight of the prototype of the B-2 “Spirit” stealth strategic bomber. Despite this, at numerous military-analytical forums, very heated discussions continue about the combat effectiveness of this machine in the most difficult conditions of strategic aerospace offensive operations of the 21st century. Each new redeployment of even a couple of these "extraordinary strategists" from Whiteman airbase (Missouri) to the military airfields of Diego Garcia Island, Guam Island, as well as the British Air Force Base Fairford, arouses keen interest from all, without exception, North American, Asian and European media …
This is not surprising, since the appearance of "spirits" in one or another part of the world is the main indicator of a changing geostrategic environment, where the latter are being used by Washington to "flex its muscles" in front of the Russian Federation, China and Iran. At the same time, in order to give their B-2A more seriousness, both the representatives of the US Air Force and the headquarters of the developer company Northrop Grumman regularly “wind up” the public, as well as specialists in the military sphere and amateurs regarding the unique stealth of these machines.
So, after the last B-2A visit to the British airbase Fairford, on June 9, 2017, Northrop Grumman made a number of high-profile statements for the Pentagon's declared participation in the so-called "regular containment operations" and exercises "Saber Strike". In particular, referring to the experience gained in the course of barbaric and unworthy NATO air operations with unequal opponents ("Allied Force", "Enduring Freedom", "Iraqi Freedom", "Odyssey. Dawn"), the developer focuses on the ability of the bomber " overcome the most sophisticated "enemy air defense system, and then deliver missile and bomb strikes against the most highly protected enemy targets. It also announced the possibility of "projecting force" anywhere in the world and the ability to turn a military conflict with just one sortie.
This raises a completely logical question: how can one judge the capabilities of a "breakthrough" of a promising enemy air defense on the basis of the S-300 // 350/400, HQ-9 and Bavar-373 complexes, based on long-standing air operations in Iraq, Yugoslavia and Libya, where the "Spirits" were opposed by the "ancient" versions of the S-75, S-125, S-200 and "Kub" anti-aircraft missile systems, which could not work against air targets with an effective scattering surface of ≤0, 2 m2, especially in the most difficult the jamming environment previously organized by the Tornado ECR, EF-111 Raven, EA-6B Prowler, etc. Moreover, although the maximum height of targets hit by the S-125M and 2K12 Cube air defense missile systems reached 18 km, their range barely reached 22 km when working on fighter-type targets in a normal jamming environment; and the B-2A, with an RCS of 0.01-0.1 m2, was within reach of the Neva and Buk at an altitude of 5 km and a range of no more than 8 km (this figure was significantly reduced under electronic countermeasures).
The standard working altitude of the "Spirit" was 10-14 km, which left no chances for the outdated anti-aircraft missile systems. As for the S-200VE "Vega-E" air defense systems, which were in service with the Libyan air defense until March 19, 2011, they were never given the opportunity to carry out combat launches against the aircraft of the US, French and British Air Forces. Four S-200 anti-aircraft missile brigades, as the most dangerous means of air defense in Libya, were destroyed in advance by strategic cruise missiles RGM / UGM-109E Block IV launched from the Aegis destroyers DDG-52 USS "Barry", DDG-55 USS "Stout" (Arley Burke class), SSGN-728 SSGN-728 USS "Florida" (converted for strike operations Ohio-class SSBNs).
Thus, Libyan airspace was made completely safe for the entry of strategic bombers B-2A "Spirit", the purpose of which was a pinpoint strike on one of the largest air bases of the Libyan Air Force with 2000-pound guided bombs GBU-31B JDAM. It should be said here that the air operation “Odyssey. Dawn "absolutely did not confirm the effectiveness of the Spirit's main technological trump card, which is the ultra-small radar signature of the airframe. The whole truth was skillfully pushed in by hundreds of Tomahawks, and also suppressed by the ALQ-99 container electronic warfare systems of the F / A-18G Growler aircraft. A completely different situation could have been if, before 2011, the air defense forces of the Jamahiriya received, for example, several divisions of the modernized Belarusian version of the C-125 called the C-125-2TM "Pechora-2TM".
In comparison with the standard modification of the C-125, the new air defense missile system is equipped with a digital block for demodulation of interference, as well as a new information field for operators. The innovations have increased the noise immunity of the Pechora-2TM by exactly 27 times (from 100 to 2700 W / MHz). The minimum effective scattering surface of an intercepted target has decreased, attention, to 0.02 m2, which is even better than that of the early S-300PT / PS (EPR = 0.02 m2). This became possible due to the "digitization" of the element base of the antenna post with the guidance radar UNV-2TM. Thanks to the integration of digital modules, the altitude and range of the 5V27 missiles have also increased (up to 20 and 25 km, respectively).
The meeting with this modification of "Pechora-M" could be the last not only for the clumsy B-2A "Spirit", but also for the Western European "Rafals" and "Typhoons", "opening the hunt" for defenseless accumulations of armored units of the Libyan army. A very interesting point is that the US Air Force carefully conceals the true radar signature of the Spiritualists, and uses them only when all more or less powerful radar systems for electronic intelligence have already been destroyed by AGM-88 AARGM anti-radar missiles and the Tomahawk TFR. Meanwhile, its average indicators have long been known to specialists and are given at the beginning of our work.
The radar equipment that was then at the disposal of the radio engineering units of the Libyan Armed Forces (radar P-12 "Yenisei", P-14 "Lena", P-37 and P-80) were distinguished by extremely low noise immunity and accuracy due to the outdated analogue "filling", and therefore could hardly give comprehensive information on the ultra-small B-2A. Another thing is to "project force" towards a modern enemy, armed with the Radio Engineering Troops and Air Defense Troops of which there are advanced meter, decimeter and centimeter radars based on PFAR / AFAR with a digital element base. Even if we take into account the fact that the data on the RCS of the B-2A from different sources are in a very decent range from 0.01 to 0.1 m2, in relation to radar, this is only a 2-fold difference in the detection range.
Take, for example, the most modern Russian interspecific tri-band radar system 55Zh6M "Sky-M", which in recent years has received excellent dynamics of entering service with the Russian Aerospace Forces. This complex perfectly combines the functions of a mobile tactical radar missile attack warning device, air traffic control, detection and tracking of spacecraft at altitudes up to 1200 km (in sector mode), as well as "linking tracks" and accurate target designation for ultra-small supersonic and hypersonic elements of high-precision weapons both in a normal jamming environment and in conditions of powerful electronic warfare. Such functionality is possible due to the presence of 3 high-potential radar modules of meter (RLM-M), decimeter (RLM-D) and centimeter (radar-CE) ranges at once. Based on the developer's data (NIIRT), where the detection range of a target with an RCS of 1 m2 is 510 km (in sector mode) and 480 km (in all-round mode) under interference conditions, it can be determined that the detection range of the B-2A "Spirit", flying at high altitude, will be 140 - 150 km (in the case of EPR 0.01 sq. m) and 260 - 280 km (in the case of 0.1 sq. m). In the absence of interference, this distance can increase by about 25 - 30%.
Even 150 km is quite enough for timely targeting of promising anti-aircraft missile systems of the S-300/400 family, as well as the S-350 Vityaz. At the same time, when setting up electronic jamming from the approach side of the B-2A "Spirit", the range of the complexes with the S-300PS / PM1 semi-active radar guidance system depends solely on the energy qualities of the 30N6E illumination and guidance radar, as well as the 5V55P or 48N6E missiles used. If the S-300PS can intercept B-2A at a distance of 30 - 35 km, then the S-300PM1 can launch missiles at Spirit from 50 - 60 km.
The Triumph and Vityaz, equipped with 9M96E2 missiles with an active radar homing head, will have much more chances to intercept the American "strategist". Combining command and control posts 50K6 and 55K6E with any attached means of electronic reconnaissance, including "Gamma-S1", "Sky-M", etc., allows interceptor missiles to receive target designation already in the air, on the way to the intercepted object. Moreover, target designation from A-50U AWACS aircraft is possible. Thanks to such abilities, in total with ARGSN, in cases of the appearance of small-sized remote targets, 9M96E2 / D will be able to operate independently of battery-operated 50N6 radar, which have insufficient energy. The range of the B-2A will remain the same: 120 - 150 km. The Polyana-D4M1 automated control system can become the connecting link between the 9M96D interceptor missiles, combat control points, as well as more "far-sighted" third-party ground and air-based radars.
Against the background of the high technological level of our RTV and VKS B-2A Block 30 do not look as menacing as the US Air Force and Northrop Grumman would like. They can boldly "project power" only on various "banana republics", as well as the people's liberation movements like "Ansar Allah" (Yemeni Houthis), which do not have modern air defense systems at their disposal. All the tales of "Northrop" regarding the "breakthrough" of the enemy's powerful air defense and hitting the bull's-eye are nothing more than another skillful move of the Western propaganda PR machine aimed at zombifying an unburdened Western man in the street. It is known that the modification B-2 Block 30, to which all 20 machines were brought, received a multifunctional airborne radar AN / APG-181 integrated into the lower nose contours of the fuselage, represented by two rectangular active PARs operating at high frequencies of centimeter waves (Ku-band, 12.5 -18 GHz).
This BRLK has 21 operating modes, among which there are: passive (electronic reconnaissance with the most accurate direction finding of the coordinates of radio-emitting targets), the long-familiar LPI ("Low Probability of Intercept" frequencies for complicating direction finding by enemy electronic reconnaissance systems and radiation warning systems), air-to-sea, air-to-surface and even air-to-air modes. The frequencies of this radar indicate the highest accuracy in determining the coordinates of the target with a resolution of 30 - 40 m at a range of about 30 - 40 m. a radar image of the terrain, which is not inferior to the picture of many optoelectronic complexes. Such an image can accurately identify ground armored vehicles, types of fighters and attack helicopters on the enemy runway, as well as surface warships.
At the same time, the operation of AN / APG-181 in most of the above modes will lead to an unambiguous opening of the B-2A's location long before detection by Protivnik-G and Sky-M radars. No matter how much Raytheon and the Western press praise the LPI mode, it is very quickly revealed with the help of modern means of passive location, one of which is the Valeria SRTP. Consisting of 4 passive antenna posts spaced apart on the ground (1 central and 3 located at 15 - 35 km from the central), "Valeria" has the highest sensitivity and is able to track AN / TPY-2 air radar (aircraft RLDN E-3C " Sentry ") at a distance of 850 - 900 km. Consequently, the AN / APG-181 radiation (including in the LPI mode) can be detected at a distance of 200 - 300 km. Thanks to three remote posts, "Valeria" by the triangulation method can accurately measure the distance to a radio-emitting object, as well as identify it thanks to a loaded base with frequency templates of various enemy airborne radars.
The development of such advanced systems as "Sky-M" and "Valeria", in conjunction with advanced anti-aircraft missile systems S-350/400 and automated control systems "Polyana" or "Baikal" will not allow the B-2A to approach the air borders of the Russian Federation even 200 km, not to mention any bombing attempts. Note that it is no coincidence that the main emphasis of the US Air Force Global Strike Command today is precisely on the faster and more maneuverable supersonic strategic missile-carrying bombers B-1B "Lancer", specializing in low-altitude overcoming enemy air defenses with further striking deep into the enemy's territory with JASSM-type missiles. ER. The "spirits" look very, very dull here.
