Polymer matrix composites as broadband radar absorbing structures for stealth aircrafts

Abstract

Stealth or low observable technology has been one of the most critical requirements for military aviation sector to counter the ever-advancing target detection technologies worldwide. Among many, Radar, which operates in the broadband spectrum, is one of the principal threats, which measures the radar cross section (RCS) of the aircraft. Hence, researchers are putting immense efforts to develop low RCS materials based on polymer matrix composites (PMCs) called as radar absorbing structures (RAS), to replace highly reflective conventional metallic aircraft structures. Though many researchers have been successful in RAS realization using radar absorbing materials (RAMs) as fillers, this review article reckons the state-of-the-art advanced research on the realization of RAS using a combination of RAMs and multilayered grid devices such as, frequency selective surfaces, circuit analog absorbers, metamaterials, and so on, and their effect on mechanical properties to deliver superior performance RAS for stealth aircrafts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47241.