US Navy might make its entire fleet ‘disappear’ and dodge Iranian radars using this World War 2 strategy; What is Philadelphia Experiment?

The USS Abraham Lincoln is essentially a floating city, more than 333 meters long.

US Navy, Iranian radars, Philadelphia Experiment, USA, Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, USS Abraham Lincoln, Suez Canal, Philadelphia, Project Rainbow, Norfolk, Virginia

New Delhi: The escalating tensions between the US and Iran could turn into a full-fledged war any day as both countries are strengthening their military preparations. The US has sent two naval fleets towards the Strait of Hormuz to control Iran. The fleet led by the USS Abraham Lincoln is advancing through the Suez Canal. To hide itself from Iranian radars, the warship has switched off its transponder so that the Iranians cannot track its signal and determine its location. This strategy is called the Philadelphia Experiment 2.0.

What is Philadelphia Experiment 2.0?

It is said that during World War II, the US Navy conducted a secret experiment in 1943 at its Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Under this alleged project called ‘Project Rainbow’, the destroyer USS Eldridge was to be equipped with stealth technology so that enemy equipment could not detect it. The goal was to make it invisible.

It is said that by then, the US military had developed the technology of optical invisibility. The ship was then sent to Norfolk, Virginia, 320 km away, for testing. After that, it returned to Philadelphia. Enemy ships could not track its movements.

How did the ships disappear?

For this, electrical cables were wrapped around the steel hull of the ship. This reduced the ship’s magnetic field. While the ship continued to float openly in the sea, its signals were so weak that radar couldn’t detect it.

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Now, in the present situation, could Project Rainbow 2.0 be successful this time? The answer is a qualified yes and no. Why do we say this? There are two main reasons. The USS Abraham Lincoln is essentially a floating city, more than 333 meters long. It’s impossible to hide such a massive warship from the naked eye or satellite imagery. Therefore, the US cannot make this carrier disappear, even if it wanted to.

Both Iran and USA are engaged in strategic manoeuvring

The US Navy is so proficient in electronic warfare systems that it can confuse enemy radar and deceive its sensors. The USS Abraham Lincoln is equipped with the AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare suite. This system can reduce the signals emitted by the warship to such an extent that it appears as a small fishing boat on the radar. As a result, the enemy’s radar becomes confused and cannot lock onto the target to fire its missiles.