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A comment on Chilean officials can’t identify a strange IR signal seen by its Navy. Parent comment

Re:Chilean officials can’t identify a strange IR signal seen... by heatButNoRadar on Saturday January 07, 2017 @05:40PM (#13347094)
How come no radar signature. Is that not unusual for aircraft, or are most aircraft radar absorbing?
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Re:Chilean officials can’t identify a strange IR signal seen... by hindsightbias on Saturday January 07, 2017 @08:57PM (#13347799)
Most civilian ATC radars are 'Secondary' radars which depend on cooperative transponders on all aircraft. If you turn your transponder off, the system doesn't work.

US ATC uses 'Primary' radars as backup for locating aircraft that don't have transponders or don't have them on. Militaries use Primary radars for most of their activities. Other articles don't provide distinction on what type of radar was used.

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