Can fighter jet technology hack the sensors of an incoming missile?
Modern fighter jets use technology to jam and trick missile sensors, using radio and infrared signals to protect pilots at high speed. But new missile sensors are learning to adapt, so the race continues.
How Missiles Track Fighter Jets
Missiles use sensors like radar and infrared to find and follow jets. These sensors read the position, speed and heat made by the aircraft. A missile might hunt its target from far away, locking onto the jet’s location and heading using its guidance system.
Fighter Jet Countermeasures Explained
Fighter jets use electronic countermeasures (ECM) to disrupt an incoming missile’s sensors. ECM sends out radio or infrared signals to fool the missile, making the real target seem lost or moving strangely. These defences include radar jamming, signal spoofing and launching flares or chaff as decoys.
Jamming Missile Sensors
Advanced jets like the F-35 use radar, electronic warfare suites and onboard computers to detect and jam threats quickly. Systems analyse the missile’s sensor signals and respond by sending electronic waves, which can overwhelm or confuse the missile’s radar or infrared seeker. This can make the missile lose its lock or chase the wrong target.
Hacking Or Spoofing Missile Guidance
Instead of traditional hacking, jets can mislead a missile’s sensor by changing the signals it receives. Techniques like Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) jamming send new signals to the missile, tricking it about the jet’s location, distance or movement. This can create false targets or delay the missile’s reaction.
Supersonic Speed - Does It Change The Tactics?
Jets flying at supersonic speed, such as Mach 1 or higher, use quick reactions and fast data processing to manage ECM. Fast speed means less time to respond, so modern defence systems are built to act in milliseconds. Automated defences and sensor networks allow these jets to avoid or jam incoming missiles mid-flight without human delay.
Defence Systems
Examples include PAWS infrared missile warning on F-16s and electronic warfare aircraft like the EA-18G Growler, which use both jammers and decoys. Some advanced ECM can manage dozens of threats at once, sharing detection and evasion with other jets in the group. Radar deception and angle-jamming also add extra protection by moving the missile’s seeker away from the jet.
Sensor jamming
While ECM and sensor jamming make it harder for a missile to hit, some new missiles use smart sensors and advanced tracking to fight back. The fight between jet defences and missile guidance keeps evolving, and jets must always upgrade their technology.
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