As US stealth aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor struggle with peeling radar-absorbing materials—a flaw compared to “molting cicada wings”—China asserts it has discovered an age-old remedy for its fifth-generation planes.
New disclosures from defense industry analysts indicate that advanced stealth technology may be
technology
aboard China’s smooth-skinned
stealth fighters
May owe its durability to a 3,000-year-old textile breakthrough: the craft of silk jacquard weaving.
Modern stealth airplanes, including the
F-22
and
F-35
Relies on multiple coating layers to bounce back radar waves. However, these materials break down quickly when subjected to strain.
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U.S. maintenance records show that even small scratches caused by high-speed flights or dust storms in desert regions can significantly reduce stealth effectiveness, necessitating repeated applications.
radar-absorbent materials
(RAM) approximately every three weeks, with expenses surpassing $60,000 per flight hour, as reported by certain US media outlets.
Moreover, in areas such as Florida, humidity worsens adhesive problems, whereas rust around seaside installations adds to the degradation of effectiveness.
Chinese aerospace engineers have frequently criticized these temporary fixes. Rather, they aimed for a fundamental solution—one integrated into the very fabric of the materials.
Based on a research paper released last month in the Chinese academic journal Knitting Industries, the solution stems from a two-layer blended material influenced by
Han dynasty
(206 BC–AD 220) Jacquard looms – a weaving technique for silk that dates back to around 200 BC.
Through the incorporation of conductive threads within a “double-sided jacquard” fabric constructed using a warp knitting technique, scientists from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) along with Tianjin University developed a textile capable of absorbing up to 90.6 percent of radar waves across the frequency range of 8-26 GHz. This performance surpasses traditional coating methods significantly.
According to the team headed by Professor Jiang Qian, this material represents a “blend of traditional patterns and contemporary electromagnetism.”
Similar to how traditional jacquard weavers utilized “flower books” akin to punch cards for encoding complex patterns, Jiang and her team integrated radar-evading structures right into the fabric structure. The quartz fibers serve as an insulating foundation, whereas stainless-steel threads generate resonating circuits that convert electromagnetic waves into thermal energy.
Each conductive thread is carefully positioned to direct and capture signals, similar to how ancient weavers would arrange silk threads to illustrate dragons or clouds, as stated by the
researchers
.
Laboratory testing uncovered significant mechanical benefits. It was discovered that the composite can endure up to 93.5 megapascals of longitudinal tensile stress—over tenfold compared to conventional coatings. This resilience originates from the knitted material’s anisotropic design, wherein the load-carrying threads are oriented parallel to each other.
aircraft’s
stress vectors, reflecting the axial strength found in Han Dynasty silk textiles.
The Smith Chart, an electromagnetic analysis, further showed near-perfect impedance matching in the longitudinal direction, allowing
radar waves
to delve into rather than mirror, as per the study.
Archaeologists have traced Jacquard’s roots back to the looms of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), where craftsmen used manual “multi-heddle” systems to create intricate geometric designs. By the time of the Han Dynasty, these devices had advanced significantly, featuring as many as 120 heddle rods. This pioneering technology was later embodied in the world’s earliest known Jacquard weaving mechanism discovered within the Laoguanshan Tombs located in Chengdu.
“A scholar from Beijing specializing in the history of science mentioned, under condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the technology, that those Han looms were not solely used for producing luxuries,” she stated.
They functioned akin to primitive binary computers, retaining weaving instructions within their physical storage systems. Contemporary military engineers appear to have rediscovered this approach.
More from The South China Morning Post:
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- China’s high-flying airship can spot America’s F-35 fighters from about 2,000 kilometers away, according to a study.
- Financial backing for technological advancements is a key priority for Beijing this year, according to the minister.
- The Trump administration’s science policy appointee refers to China as the foremost technological and scientific rival.
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