Today, the term stealth technology refers to advanced defense systems designed to make military vehicles — if not completely invisible — significantly harder to detect by enemy radar and tracking systems. Stealth enhances the survivability of aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles by minimizing their visibility to radar, infrared, sonar, and other detection methods. As a result, these platforms can operate deeper into hostile territory with reduced risk of being intercepted.

On a technical level, stealth is achieved through special design principles, surface geometry, and radar-absorbing materials. Aircraft and other vehicles feature angled or curved surfaces that prevent radar waves from reflecting directly back to the source. Additionally, radar-absorbing coatings reduce or disperse incoming wave energy, making the return signal too weak for detection. Modern stealth is multi-spectral, targeting not only radar but also heat signatures, acoustic noise, and electromagnetic emissions. This layered concealment strategy allows military assets to conduct reconnaissance and strike missions with a dramatically lower chance of being detected.