Which statement about CMWS is true?

Which statement about CMWS is true?

• A. AN/AAR-57 CMWS is ultraviolet-based and passive for missile threat detection
• B. Chaff can completely hide aircraft from radar
• C. CW radar detects all stealth targets effectively
• D. Chaff is a primary source of threat info

Answer: (A)

Missile warning systems are designed to detect incoming threats without radiating signals themselves. The AN/AAR-57 CMWS uses ultraviolet sensors to spot the distinctive plume of an approaching missile, and because it is only listening for that signature, the detection is passive. This UV-based, passive detection allows the system to warn the aircraft quickly and cue countermeasures like flares. So, describing CMWS as ultraviolet-based and passive for missile threat detection is the true statement. Chaff does not make an aircraft completely invisible to radar; it creates decoy reflections and can be distinguished or overwhelmed by modern radar systems in many situations. Continuous-wave radar does not guarantee detection of all stealth targets; stealth designs reduce radar cross-section across many bands, and no single radar type detects every stealth threat. Chaff is not a primary source of threat information; threat data comes from sensors and intelligence, not from the countermeasure material itself.

Missile warning systems are designed to detect incoming threats without radiating signals themselves. The AN/AAR-57 CMWS uses ultraviolet sensors to spot the distinctive plume of an approaching missile, and because it is only listening for that signature, the detection is passive. This UV-based, passive detection allows the system to warn the aircraft quickly and cue countermeasures like flares. So, describing CMWS as ultraviolet-based and passive for missile threat detection is the true statement.

Chaff does not make an aircraft completely invisible to radar; it creates decoy reflections and can be distinguished or overwhelmed by modern radar systems in many situations. Continuous-wave radar does not guarantee detection of all stealth targets; stealth designs reduce radar cross-section across many bands, and no single radar type detects every stealth threat. Chaff is not a primary source of threat information; threat data comes from sensors and intelligence, not from the countermeasure material itself.