Houthis use advanced missiles to target stealthy F‑35 jets
The Houthis recently threatened an American F-35 aircraft, forcing its pilot to maneuver to avoid being hit by an anti-aircraft missile. F-16 aircraft were also attacked, and the risk of these planes being shot down was assessed as high.
How is it possible that planes, touted by both manufacturers and users as difficult to detect, do not provide American pilots complete operational freedom? The Aviationist attempts to explain how the F-35 was attacked.
The explanation might lie in the Houthis' use of modern anti-aircraft missiles with thermal guidance (like the Piorun missile). These missiles target heat sources—such as engines and especially exhaust nozzles.
This guidance can be disrupted using flares—pyrotechnic charges ejected from the aircraft. Burning at high temperatures, these flares can confuse the missile's sensor.
How to detect a stealth aircraft?
A solution that reduces the effectiveness of flares—possibly used by the Houthis—involves missiles equipped with guidance sensors that function similarly to thermal imaging cameras.
These sensors allow the missile to "see" not only point heat sources but also their shape. This capability enables the detection of an aircraft's silhouette against the sky, ignoring flares.
Such technology was likely used in the Iranian Saqr-1 missiles supplied to the Houthis. However, due to their low speed, it is likely that missiles of another type were used to attack aircraft.
IRST – a heat-detecting sensor
5th generation aircraft, including the F-35, are designed with stealth technology, which means they have reduced radar and thermal signatures. This is achieved through additional shielding of engine nozzles and cooling of exhaust gases, among other techniques. However, completely dispersing heat or concealing the hot elements of the aircraft is impossible, allowing for detection opportunities.
For this reason, sensors detecting heat sources serve as a supplement to radar. IRST (infrared search and track) sensors are installed on many Russian and European aircraft, as well as some American ones.
IRST enables completely passive detection of heat sources without emitting detectable signals. Under optimal conditions, it allows for the detection of aircraft from distances of tens of miles.
