The United States Air Force pioneered the use of modern stealth technology, beginning with the F-117 Nighthawk strike fighter in the 1980s. Deployed extensively in the 1990s during conflicts in Panama, Iraq, and Yugoslavia, the F-117’s success forced potential adversaries like Russia, Serbia, and North Korea to accelerate their own counter-stealth technologies. Notably, during the 1999 Kosovo War, Serbia used modified S-125 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) to target two F-117s, successfully downing one and heavily damaging the other.
Building on this, the U.S. inducted the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber in 1997, followed by the F-22 Raptor in 2005, which was designed for air superiority. By this time, Russia had developed several advanced counter-stealth systems, including the S-400 Triumf, a long-range SAM system capable of targeting advanced stealth aircraft. Deployed in 2006, the S-400 was seen as Russia’s answer to the F-22 and demonstrated its ability to track and engage stealth fighters using long-wavelength radars, infrared targeting, and other technologies. Since then, Russia has further refined its counter-stealth capabilities with systems like the S-500 SAM and K-77 air-to-air missile, although the U.S. has yet to produce a stealth aircraft with greater radar-evading capabilities than the F-22 or B-2.
In 2017, China joined the ranks of stealth aircraft developers with the Chengdu J-20, its fifth-generation air superiority fighter intended to rival the F-22. This prompted neighboring nations, including India, to accelerate their own countermeasures against China’s growing technological advantage. Unlike the U.S., which counters stealth with anti-stealth naval systems and a push for a sixth-generation fighter, India has focused on acquiring advanced Russian anti-aircraft systems to counter Chinese stealth platforms. India’s military strategy hinges on acquiring Russian-made systems like the S-400, which are equipped with counter-stealth capabilities designed to target platforms such as the F-22 and J-20.
India’s growing interest in the S-400, coupled with its ongoing development of advanced air superiority fighters such as the Su-30MKI, positions it as a key player in the regional power balance. These fighters, while not fifth-generation, have been upgraded with cutting-edge air-to-air missiles and are considered among the best in the world. India is also looking to acquire fifth-generation air superiority fighters from Russia, including stealth variants of the Su-35 or the more advanced Su-57. By integrating these next-gen systems into its arsenal, India aims to maintain parity with China, ensuring it can effectively counter the J-20 and prevent any significant technological disadvantage in the evolving air combat landscape.
As India finalizes its plans to acquire the S-400, military experts such as former Air Marshal KK Nohwar express confidence that these systems will provide India with the means to challenge China’s J-20 dominance, strengthening India’s air defense capabilities and regional position.
