Shift operator finite-difference time-domain (SO-FDTD) method is developed to study the stealth technology of inhomogeneous magnetized plasma in this paper. The high accuracy and efficiency of this method is verified by computing the reflection and transmission coefficients of electromagnetic wave through a collisional magnetized plasma slab in one dimension. The stealth effect of radar targets covered with Epstein distribution inhomogeneous magnetized plasma is studied. The results show that the stealth effect of radar targets covered with Epstein distribution inhomogeneous magnetized plasma is better than that of radar targets covered with homogeneous magnetized plasma. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.