This is an overview of Russian early-warning radars for air surveillance, and related design bureaus.
The Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Radio Engineering (Russian acronym: NNIIRT) has since 1948 developed a number of radars. [1] These were mainly radars in the VHF-band, and many of which featured developments in technology that represented "first offs" in the Soviet Union. Innovations include the first Soviet air surveillance radar with a circular scan: the P-8 Volga (NATO: KNIFE REST A) in 1950, the first 3D radar: the 5N69 Salute (NATO: BIG BACK) in 1975, and in 1982 the first VHF-band 3D-radar: the 55Zh6 Nebo (NATO: TALL RACK). Other innovations were radars with frequency hopping; the P-10 Volga A (NATO: KNIFE REST B) in 1953, radars with transmitter signal coherency and special features like moving target indicator (MTI); the P-12 Yenisei (NATO: SPOON REST) in 1955 as well as the P-70 Lena-M with chirp signal modulation in 1968 [2] or the widely used P-18 Terek (NATO: SPOON REST D) in 1970.
The Dalney Radiosvyazi NII company (Russian acronym: NIIDAR) developed a number of radars from 1949 to 1959 in co-operation with the NII-20 Lianozovo electromechanical plant. [3] However, unlike the NNIIRT, this design bureau focused on higher frequency radars like the P-20, P-30, P-30M, P-35, P-32D2 and the P-50 (NATO: E/F-bands). These radars have better accuracy and faster scan rates, and are thus more suited for ground control of fighter aircraft, which complement the lower frequency radars developed by the NNIIRT design bureau. NNIDAR has in recent years expanded their product range to include innovative radar designs like the Podsolnukh-E over-the-horizon (OTH) surface-wave radar [4] and the 29B6 Konteyner. [5] The latter, while also being an OTH-radar, has separate locations for the transmitter and the receiver making it a bi-static system.
All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Radio Engineering (Russian acronym: VNIIRT)
Radar | NATO reporting name | Radio spectrum (NATO) | Developed | Fun fact | Design bureau |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
P-3 | VHF | 1948 | The first Soviet post-World War II air surveillance radar | NNIIRT | |
P-20 Periscope | TOKEN | E/F-band | 1949 | NIIDAR | |
P-50 Observatory | E/F-band | 1949 | Stationary variant of P-20 | NIIDAR | |
P-30 | BIG MESH | E/F-band | 1955 | NIIDAR | |
P-30M | BIG BAR | E/F-band | 1959 | NIIDAR | |
P-35 | BAR LOCK | E/F-band | 1958 | NIIDAR | |
P-8 Volga | KNIFE REST A | VHF | 1950 | The first Soviet radar with circular scan | NNIIRT |
P-10 Volga A | KNIFE REST B | VHF | 1953 | Frequency hopping | NNIIRT |
P-12 Yenisei | SPOON REST | VHF | 1955 | Coherent radar with MTI | NNIIRT |
P-15 Tropa | FLAT FACE A | UHF | 1955 | VNIIRT | |
P-14 Lena | TALL KING | VHF | 1959 | NNIIRT | |
P-35M | BAR LOCK | E/F-band | 1961 | Improved antenna layout | NIIDAR |
P-70 Lena-M | VHF | 1968 | First Soviet radar with chirp | NNIIRT | |
P-18 Terek | SPOON REST D | VHF | 1970 | NNIIRT | |
ST-68 | TIN SHIELD | E-band | 1970 | First Soviet radar with digital coherent signal processing | VNIIRT |
Sword-35 | BAR LOCK | E/F-band | 1971 | faster scanning, improved antenna, polarization filters, pulse duration/frequency modulation | NIIDAR |
5N84A Oborona-14 | TALL KING C | VHF | 1974 | NNIIRT | |
P-19 Danube | FLAT FACE B | UHF | 1974 | VNIIRT | |
5N69 Salute | BIG BACK | D-band | 1975 | First Soviet 3D-radar | NNIIRT |
44ZH6 | TALL KING B | VHF | 1979 | Stationary version of Oborona-14 | NNIIRT |
55ZH6 Nebo | TALL RACK | VHF | 1982 | First Soviet meter-wavelength 3D-radar | NNIIRT |
1L13 | 1982 | NNIIRT | |||
52E6 | VHF | 1982-1996 | NNIIRT | ||
1L13-3 Nebo-SV | BOX SPRING | VHF | 1985 | NNIIRT | |
55ZH6U Nebo-U | TALL RACK | VHF | 1992 | NNIIRT | |
1L119 Nebo-SVU | VHF | 1997-2006 | NNIIRT | ||
59N6-1 Protivnik-G1 | D-band | 1997 | Average time between failures 840 hours | NNIIRT | |
1L122 | D-band | 1997-2006 | NNIIRT | ||
1L121-E | UHF | 2011 | It is able to monitor even on the Move | NNIIRT | |
52E6MU | VHF | 1997-2006 | NNIIRT | ||
P-18 modernisation kits | SPOON REST D | VHF | 1997-2006 | NNIIRT | |
55ZH6M Nebo-M | VHF/multi-band | 2011 | NNIIRT | ||
Nebo-T [6] | VHF | 2022 | Nebo-T radars are a heavy upgrade of Nebo-U radar stations | NNIIRT | |
59N6M | NNIIRT | ||||
Podsolnukh-E | VHF | 2000 | over-the-horizon surface-wave radar | NIIDAR | |
29B6 Container radar | VHF | 2000 | Bi-static radar | NIIDAR |
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47, Part 15 is an oft-quoted part of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations regarding unlicensed transmissions. It is a part of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and regulates everything from spurious emissions to unlicensed low-power broadcasting. Nearly every electronics device sold inside the United States radiates unintentional emissions, and must be reviewed to comply with Part 15 before it can be advertised or sold in the US market.
Communication with submarines is a field within military communications that presents technical challenges and requires specialized technology. Because radio waves do not travel well through good electrical conductors like salt water, submerged submarines are cut off from radio communication with their command authorities at ordinary radio frequencies. Submarines can surface and raise an antenna above the sea level, or float a tethered buoy carrying an antenna, then use ordinary radio transmissions; however, this makes them vulnerable to detection by anti-submarine warfare forces.
Duga was an over-the-horizon radar (OTH) system used in the Soviet Union as part of its early-warning radar network for missile defense. It operated from July 1976 to December 1989. Two operational duga radars were deployed, with one near Chernobyl and Liubech in the Ukrainian SSR, and the other in eastern Siberia.
Over-the-horizon radar (OTH), sometimes called beyond the horizon radar (BTH), is a type of radar system with the ability to detect targets at very long ranges, typically hundreds to thousands of kilometres, beyond the radar horizon, which is the distance limit for ordinary radar. Several OTH radar systems were deployed starting in the 1950s and 1960s as part of early-warning radar systems, but airborne early warning systems have generally replaced these. OTH radars have recently been making a comeback, as the need for accurate long-range tracking has become less important since the ending of the Cold War, and less-expensive ground-based radars are once again being considered for roles such as maritime reconnaissance and drug enforcement.
Type 517 radar is believed to be an A-band/VHF air search radar widely deployed on PLAN surface vessels with 4 antennas in two crossed-brace supported pairs, one above the other, mounted in pairs on each side of a single tubular support carried on the turning gear.
Baranavichy Radar Station is a 70M6 Volga-type radar near Hantsavichy in Belarus. It is an early warning radar, which is run by the Russian Space Forces. It is designed to identify launches of ballistic missiles from western Europe and can also track some artificial satellites, partly replacing the demolished radar station at Skrunda in Latvia.
The "Pegmantit 3" or P-3 was an early VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The "Pegmantit 8" or P-8 was an early 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The "Pegmantit 10" or P-10 was an early 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The P-12 "Yenisei" was an early VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The P-18 or 1RL131Terek is a 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The P-14 is a 2D VHF radar that was developed and operated by the Soviet Union.
The P-70 or "Lena-M" was a static 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
The P-19"Danube"1RL134 is a 2D UHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union. The radar was also known by the name "Renata" in Poland and "Dunai" in the former German Democratic Republic.
Voronezh radars are the current generation of Russian early-warning radar, providing long distance monitoring of airspace against ballistic missile attack and aircraft monitoring. The first radar, in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg, became operational in 2009. There is a plan to replace older radars with the Voronezh by 2020.
The Nizhny Novgorod Research Institute of Radio Engineering (NNIIRT) is a Russian electronics company specializing in the development and manufacturing of radar equipment. It is a subsidiary of the Almaz-Antey group.
Container (29B6) radar is the new generation of Russian over-the-horizon radar, providing long distance airspace monitoring and ballistic missile detection. The first radar, near Kovylkino, Mordovia, Russia, became operational in December 2013 and entered combat duty on 1 December, 2019. Another Container radar is planned to be deployed in Kaliningrad.
The NIIDAR company, the Scientific and Research Institute for Long-Distance Radio Communications is a Russian manufacturer of radar systems.
VNIIRT - All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Radio Engineering is a Russian manufacturer of air surveillance radars. It is part of the Almaz-Antey holding.
The Nebo-SVU is a very high frequency (VHF) multi-functional radar and the first radar with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) antenna operating at meter wavelengths. The radar was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the Nebo-SV. It can locate aircraft and other flying objects with 0.1 m2 radar cross-section at a distance of 100 km (62 mi).