Using masers/directional antennas for communication with stealth aircraft.

[Scarecrow]

For aircraft like the F-22 or the B-2, when they want to be stealthy, they obviously can't talk on the radio, with an omnidirectional antenna that is, because they'll be detected from their radio transmission. However, could they (or do they already) use things like masers or strongly directional antennas to transmit messages precisely to a destination, either directly to each other, or to some external place in a very different direction from the bad guys, like an AWACS or ground station for relaying to other stealth aircraft in the same area and other friendly forces? Or is this a non-issue for some reason I don't see?

 

[Notebook]

They probably don't transmit at all.
There are three options, they complete the mission, have to abort, or the mission is cancelled before some point of commitment.
Can't think of any reason why they would need to trasmit omni, but I'm probably wrong!

N.

 

[tl8]

For aircraft like the F-22 or the B-2, when they want to be stealthy, they obviously can't talk on the radio, with an omnidirectional antenna that is, because they'll be detected from their radio transmission. However, could they (or do they already) use things like masers or strongly directional antennas to transmit messages precisely to a destination, either directly to each other, or to some external place in a very different direction from the bad guys, like an AWACS or ground station for relaying to other stealth aircraft in the same area and other friendly forces? Or is this a non-issue for some reason I don't see?

As far as I know, the B-2 and F-117 both go on radio silence when on a mission. The F-22 has encrypted radio that is probably directional. An AWACS has to be careful around Stealth aircraft lest it starting 'lighting' it up.

 

[Notebook]

If an F117 is on an intelligence gathering mission(do they?), and needs to transmit data, I'm guessing they woud uplink to a satellite?

N.

 

[tl8]

If an F117 is on an intelligence gathering mission(do they?), and needs to transmit data, I'm guessing they woud uplink to a satellite?

N.

F-117 doesn't do intelligence, satellites do a better job (or a Boeing 707)

Mind you flying a F-117 is more boring than flying 707

 

[tori]

A stealth unit can also transmit using bursts, which are short enough so that the enemy doesn't get enough data to determine the vehicle's vector.

Or transmit (directionally) with encryption a power that make the stream look like background interference.

But the simplest and most effective is radio silence.

 

[Kozak]

B-2 AFAIK has only Link 11/Link 16 receivers, as there's nothing to transmit.
F-22 and F-35 use narrow-beam LPI Link-16 transmitters, which, however, require "handshake" before connection, which is a possible issue. But that's far better than "silence".