Imagine that thousands of feet above the ground, America’s most advanced fighter jet is in trouble…
The F-35 Lightning II’s sensors have detected an incoming missile.
The pilot deploys the plane’s main countermeasure…
A “towed decoy” drops out of a hatch near the back of the jet. It looks like a small missile that drags behind the plane while attached to a fiber-optic cable.
At the end of the towline, the decoy sends out signals to try to jam the missile’s radar.
But the missile is still coming straight at the F-35. It has already locked onto the plane.
The system detects the increasing danger and sends out a new type of signal. It directly attacks the missile’s radar system to try to break the targeting lock.
But that doesn’t work, either.
As its final option, the decoy copies the F-35’s radar signature. And it works…
The missile hits the decoy and explodes. The F-35 keeps flying unscathed.
Here’s what a typical decoy looks like…
Now, this example is hypothetical. But it shows exactly how the F-35’s towed decoy works. It’s what might happen when the F-35 is in a real battle.
The F-35 is the latest – and, by far, the most advanced – aircraft in the U.S. military. And towed decoys are just one of its many mind-blowing features…
You’ve likely heard about the F-35 at some point. It has been in development for decades. And it has gotten a lot of bad press because of delays and cost overruns.
It also doesn’t have impressive stats like top speed or range. Its single engine can deliver 43,000 pounds of thrust. It can’t climb as fast as a double-engine jet like the F-22.
However, the U.S. military didn’t build the F-35 to be the fastest or the most agile fighter jet…
It’s designed to be a flying supercomputer.
The F-35 is packed with more sensors, electronic systems, and computing power than you can imagine. And in battle, this type of technology is a huge advantage…
The F-35’s Electro-Optical Targeting System (“EOTS”) can find air- or ground-based targets from miles away. And the pilot can destroy the targets long before they even see the plane.
This “first strike” advantage is possible because of the biggest antenna ever on a plane…
It’s called an “active electronically scanned array” (“AESA”). This device is inside the jet’s nose. It’s like a radar that can lock onto several targets in different directions. Take a look…
For closer objects, the pilot can rely on a “distributed aperture system” (“DAS”). This high-tech setup of six infrared cameras provides a 360-degree view around the plane’s outside.
The F-35’s computers constantly process visual data into an easy-to-understand readout.
But keep in mind that all this data isn’t just for the pilot…
You see, each F-35 acts like a data collector. It sends all the data to ground stations, as well as nearby allied aircraft.
In fact, F-35s could eventually be able to upload their data to a satellite. Then, they would be able to transmit that data to U.S. Navy ships anywhere in the world.
Put simply, the F-35 is an incredible aircraft. It’s going to be a key part of the U.S. military for decades to come. And even better, the high-tech evolution isn’t unique to this jet…
Every military vehicle is heading in this direction.
The U.S. has the most advanced, tech-driven military. And that won’t change anytime soon.
Furthermore, the Power Gauge sees the strength in the aerospace and defense sector…
In our system, we can use the SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense Fund (XAR) to track this corner of the market. Take a look at the chart below with some data from the Power Gauge…
As you can see, XAR recently turned “bullish.” And take a look at the relative-strength reading in the first panel below the chart…
You’ll notice that XAR has also started outperforming the broad-market S&P 500 Index for the first time since March.
Put simply, the Power Gauge sees opportunity in the aerospace and defense sector.
So if you’re not paying attention to this corner of the market today… I recommend you check it out.
Good investing,
Marc Chaikin
