Lockheed Orlando Radar Cross Section Range (RCSR)
The Lockheed Orlando Radar Cross Section Range (RCSR) was a highly specialized and secretive facility designed to measure the radar cross section of various aircraft and objects. These measurements were critical to the development and refinement of stealth technologies used in U.S. military aviation.
Located in Orlando, Florida, this facility was operated by Lockheed Martin, one of the primary contractors responsible for the development of stealth aircraft such as the F-117 Nighthawk and the F-22 Raptor. The RCSR was one of several such ranges used to evaluate how visible or invisible an object was to radar, particularly in controlled, secure conditions.
A radar cross section range is typically equipped with sophisticated radar transmitters and receivers, as well as anechoic chambers and isolated test pads to eliminate background noise and interference. The objects under test are exposed to radar waves at various frequencies and angles, and the reflections are measured to determine how detectable the object is.
The work performed at the Lockheed Orlando RCSR contributed significantly to the shaping, coating, and design philosophies that defined modern stealth technology. While much of the detailed data and specific projects remain classified, the facility played a key role in advancing the radar-evading capabilities of U.S. defense systems.
After the consolidation of various operations, and possibly due to increased testing at other facilities such as the Helendale Radar Cross Section Range and the RATSCAT facility at White Sands Missile Range, the Lockheed Orlando RCSR was eventually decommissioned. Today, its legacy lives on in the technology it helped refine and the aircraft it helped render nearly invisible.