B-1

[Thunder]

Read an article a few years back that said the B-1 had the radar cross section of a hummingbird, so pretty stealthy.

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I'm wondering if you're assuming the B-1 will fly at slow, high and in a straight line towards the target? Being invisible on radar can mean a radar pulse never reaches an incoming aircraft in the first place, as well as not reflecting back as per a B-2 etc. But yes, even seen head on by a radar I'd imagine it can have such a low reflection that it's just written off as background noise.

[wave scanner]

Plus it was very much designed to fly low using terrain as a mask, therefore effectively under the radar!

[uk-heliman]

Plus it was very much designed to fly low using terrain as a mask, therefore effectively under the radar!

Thats correct, same as the Vulcan.

[Ghostrider01]

Plus it was very much designed to fly low using terrain as a mask, therefore effectively under the radar!

Thats correct, same as the Vulcan.

The Vulcan was originally a high altitude platform for nuclear weapons delivery I believe.

It change to low level after the SAM threat became such that the high level mission would be ineffective.

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I don't think the B-1 has ever gone to war at low level though? Today the big thing seems to be flying a bomber as high as you can fly it. Hence the B-52 can be used in different places to the B-1, and vice versa of course (50,000ft ceiling compared to high 20s (unclass).)