Sukhoi su 57 vs f 22 raptor
The issue is that with a typically fixed AESA radar or mechanically scanned array, pulling off a beaming maneuver means the fighter doing so will lose its radar picture of the enemy it is trying to evade. This is an especially useful tactic when the radar is positioned at a higher altitude than the beaming aircraft, and trying to lock up its target in a look-down-shoot-down scenario where ground clutter is prevalent. As a result, it throws this information out as it would a mountaintop. So even though the enemy fighter may be moving at 500 mph, the right angle to the radar makes it only detect small amounts of closure. This blind spot is where the radar’s velocity gate, which acts like a filter, sees a target at low enough relative motion from its perspective that it discounts it. Because these types of radars use doppler shift to gauge a target’s relative velocity, and as such, they filter low relative velocity objects, like ground clutter, the beaming fighter, which is not moving towards or away from the enemy radar much, can enter the enemy radar’s 'doppler notch.'
This tactic is usually referred to as "beaming."īeaming is when a fighter turns 90 degrees away (perpendicular) to an enemy’s pulse doppler radar array. But beyond this the most basic of advantages, they allow the Su-57 pilot to execute a key tactic better than nearly any other fighter around. At first glance, the utility of these radars is clear-they provide a far greater sensor field of view and thus enhance situational awareness for the Su-57's pilot.