China has unveiled a handheld device that claims to detect stealth fighters with unprecedented accuracy. If these claims hold true, this low-cost, high-tech innovation could significantly alter the dynamics of modern warfare and stealth defense.
Developed by researchers at the 38th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, this new gadget is not a missile, drone, or fighter jet it’s essentially a repurposed tablet. But what makes it remarkable is its alleged ability to detect cloaked stealth aircraft, like the US military’s prized B-2 bombers and stealth drones.
According to reporting from the South China Morning Post, the handheld device leverages a blend of civilian telecom technology and military-grade radar sensitivity to identify radar signals previously thought to be undetectable. Specifically, it targets a stealth technology known as low-probability-of-intercept radar (LPIR).
LPIR allows US stealth systems to operate under the radar literally by sending out ultra-weak signals across a broad spectrum of frequencies, rapidly switching and modulating to avoid detection. The new Chinese device reportedly sees right through that cloak. Researchers claim it can scan across frequencies ranging from 5kHz to 44GHz, with “ultra sensitivity,” “extremely fast speed,” and an accuracy margin of just 0.4 to 0.5 inches, even under electronic jamming a method designed to overwhelm detection systems with noise.
If the device performs in the field as it did in lab tests, it could represent a game-changing defensive breakthrough. The US military has long relied on stealth as a cornerstone of its strategic superiority, deploying LPIR across a wide swath of its assets, from nuclear submarines to stealth bombers. Neutralizing that advantage with a tablet-sized device costing under $68,600 a sliver of the $2 billion price tag of a B-2 bomber could dramatically shift the cost-benefit landscape of military encounters.
What’s perhaps even more consequential is the scalability of the device. Because it’s based on commercially available hardware, the Chinese military could mass-produce it quickly and cheaply, potentially distributing it widely among ground units to protect against stealth threats and reduce the odds of a surprise first strike.
Still, as with all such claims, there’s a degree of skepticism. While the device appears promising on paper, the real test will come in live operational settings, where variables are far less controlled. There’s also the likelihood that the US military or its myriad defense contractors will develop countermeasures or evolve stealth systems to outwit this new detection method.
