New over-the-horizon radars may appear in the South and East of Russia
Radar intelligence is actively developing in Russia: the first node of a unified network of over-the-horizon radars has already been formed, and it is also planned to increase the control capabilities in the southern and Eastern strategic air and space directions. At the beginning of the month, it was reported about the Container radar in service in Mordovia, which detected inconspicuous NATO fighters.
Radio engineering troops (RTV) of the Russian Aerospace forces (VKS) have formed the first node of a unified network of over-the-horizon radar reconnaissance, major General Andrey Koban, head of the RTV VKS, told the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
According to him, thanks to the capabilities of the Container radar station, the military can control the airspace of Eastern and most of Western and Northern Europe, as well as a number of countries in the middle East region, in particular, Syria.
The General clarified that the plans for the development of the over-the-horizon radar system in the near future include increasing the ability to control the airspace in the southern and Eastern strategic air and space directions.
Analogues of the "container", according to the head of the RTV, are in service with a number of foreign armies, in particular, the United States, China, great Britain, France, and Australia.
Koban called the main difference between the Russian radar the ability not only to conduct radar reconnaissance, but also to accumulate information, and then on the basis of it to reveal the nature of the activities of groups of aviation of a potential enemy.
The container has been on combat duty since December 1, 2019. It can detect any aircraft, cruise missiles and even hypersonic vehicles more than 1.5 thousand km from the state border. The station serves to alert the country's military command and control bodies about the actions of air and space attacks by foreign States, to detect cases of mass launches of cruise missiles, as well as flights of all types of aviation.
RTI JSC previously told RIA Novosti that over the past year of operation of the container in Mordovia, It has confirmed its ability to detect thousands of kilometers from the Russian border NATO fighters created using technologies to reduce radar visibility ("stealth"). This radar was developed by the NPK NIIDAR enterprise, which is part of RTI JSC.
NIIDAR CEO Kirill Makarov called the station in Mordovia "a radar complex that closes the airspace of the entire European part" of Russia. Makarov said that the "Containers" are planned to be placed in various regions of the country.
"The radar station has fully proved its importance and effectiveness in controlling movement in the airspace at a distance of more than several thousand kilometers from the state border. Over the past period of time, the Container radar has detected and determined the trajectory parameters of strategic, reconnaissance and tactical aircraft, including flights of low-profile fighters of NATO countries, " the concern's press service noted.
"Container", according to its chief designer Mikhail Petrov, is able to detect stealth aircraft at a distance of 3 thousand km. Among the most difficult tasks that the equipment of the complex solves when processing the signal, is the selection of targets, including bombers, cruise missiles, carrier-based aircraft, against the background of the earth's surface and interference, he stressed.
In turn, the commander of the 1st air defense-missile DEFENSE army, Lieutenant General Andrey Demin, drew attention to the fact that a new generation of over-the-horizon detection radar can detect mass take-off of hypersonic cruise missiles or aircraft more than 2 thousand km from the Russian borders. He stressed that the "Container" is an important link in the system of strategic deterrence, intelligence and warning of an air and space attack.
"If we detect the enemy in time, reveal his plan, we will be able to prevent a strike, and in the case of a real threat, and destroy the enemy, prevent an air strike, from space on Russian objects, "RIA Novosti quoted Demin as saying.
Lydia Misnik
