This is something I've been thinking about for some time, but is there a point in obsessing on placing very powerful and capable radars on stealth aircraft? From my understanding, turning on your radar in a stealth aircraft effectively negates your stealth advantages or significantly increases your detectability. With modern datalinks alongside very powerful radars placed on AEW&C, wouldn't the majority of the searching, tracking of targets and guiding of missiles be placed upon these, rather than the stealth aircraft themselves? I know that modern AESA radars by their design and physics are LPI, but emissions are still emissions which can still be detected and identified.
The only thing I can think of is turning on your radar within ranges where you can no longer escape detection and hence there is no issue with emitting as much as you want to attain more accurate locks for your missiles and also jamming if necessary. But doesn't that just negate the advantages people tout about how say the J-20's radar has many more T/R modules than the F-35 and also how it is a generation ahead in material science and hence should be able to detect targets much further out? I don't know if I am underestimating modern algorithms/methods in which emissions can be masked and made more LPI or that detection from emissions is not too important as long as a weapons-grade lock is still difficult to attain from the inherent RCS of the plane. I would much appreciate it if someone could enlighten me if I have a gap in my understanding in the technology or doctrine involved.
