Over-the-horizon radar (ground). Towards the launch of new Russian over-the-horizon radars. Main tasks solved by radars

Soviet radar for early detection of intercontinental ballistic missile launches. The mission of this station is to detect missile launches in the United States by changes in the composition of the ionosphere caused by rocket engines. Only three such radars were created in the USSR - near the cities of Nikolaev, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Chernobyl.

The decision to create an over-the-horizon radar system Duga No. 1 (near Chernobyl) was made on the basis of Government resolutions of January 18, 1972 and April 14, 1975. Already in 1976, the main radar unit of the Chernobyl-2 ZGRLS was installed. The general designer of the ZGRLS was the Research Institute of Long-Range Radio Communications (NIIDAR), and the chief designer and inspirer of the idea of ​​the ZGRLS was Franz Kuzminsky. A garrison was created near the radar, built near the city of Chernobyl, where military personnel and their families lived.
Military space communications unit No. 74939, commanded by Colonel Vladimir Musiyets, was stationed at the garrison.

Now this facility is heavily contaminated and, of course, is not in use.

With the help of powerful emitters, the military was able to look beyond the horizon. Obviously, thanks to such abilities, this complex received the name - over-the-horizon radar stations (ZGRLS) or “Duga-1” (Chernobyl-2 long-distance communication radio center). The unique capabilities of the radar lie in the innovative ideas of the designers, embodied in the gigantic dimensions of the mast structures and receiving antennas. It is difficult to talk about the exact geometric dimensions of the SFRS. Publicly available data is inconsistent and likely inaccurate. So the height of the masts of a large antenna is from 135 to 150 m, and the length is from 300 to 500 m. The second radar is somewhat more modest. About 250 m in length and up to 100 m in height. With such amazing dimensions, the object is visible from almost anywhere in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

According to some sources, the cost of investment was seven billion Soviet rubles (there is information about 600–700 million rubles). For comparison, this is twice as expensive as the construction of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Obviously, the construction of a ZGRLS near a nuclear power plant is explained by the need for high energy consumption. It is important to note that the ZGRLS in Chernobyl-2 was intended for receiving and processing the signal. According to available information, the ZGRLS consumed about 10 MW. The complex's transmitter was located near the city of Lyubech, Chernigov region, at a distance of 60 km from the Chernobyl station. The antenna in Lyubech was smaller and lower, its height was 85 m. At the moment, the transmitter has been destroyed.

Designers and developers of ZGRLS - E. Shtyren, V. Shamshin, Franz Kuzminsky, E. Shustov
Date and place of construction of the first ZGRLS: 1975. City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur
The first experimental activation of the Chernobyl-2 airborne radar station: 1980.
Design Institute: NIIDAR (Research Institute of Long-Range Radio Communications

The tragedy of the situation with Duga-1 is aggravated by the fact that the station was accepted for combat duty by the USSR air defense in 1985, and in 1986 the system was completely modernized and began to undergo State acceptance. And then the 4th block of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. Before modernization, the use of ZGRLS was difficult, since part of the operating frequency range coincided with the frequency of operation of aviation systems. Some sources claim that after the Chernobyl radar began operating, a number of Western governments declared that the operation of this system, which impedes the safe operation of civil aviation in Europe, was unacceptable. Although the developers of the ZGRLS rejected the accusations and said that the indignation of the governments of European countries was that the USSR covered the entire airspace over Europe with a “cap” and the NATO countries could not do anything to counter this. After modernization, this problem of matching the operating frequencies of the ZGRLS with the frequencies of civil aviation was solved.

The complete closure of the infrastructure of the city of Chernobyl-2 was not carried out immediately - it was mothballed until 1987. But over time, it became clear that it was impossible to operate it in the exclusion zone. The main components of the ZGRLS system were dismantled and transported to Komsomolsk.
For the characteristic sound on the air made during operation (knock) it received the name Russian Woodpecker (Russian Woodpecker).
This station caused a lot of noise - when, upon its launch, many Western powers discovered its knocking on civil aviation frequencies. An official protest followed from the USA, Great Britain and other countries. Afterwards it was necessary to change the frequency band for sounding. There were even oddities when radio amateurs in many countries tried to counter the woodpecker by transmitting a recorded knock in antiphase. Of course, this was of no use.

Today it is quite difficult to get into the city and approach the ZGRLS. The facility is secure and is under constant guard of one of the enterprises in the Chernobyl zone. Much can be said about the reigning devastation and devastation of the buildings of Chernobyl-2, as well as about the depth of melancholy that one experiences from contemplating these places. We can talk a lot about the absorption by nature of this man-made monster, which consists in “tightening” the concrete surfaces of roads and sidewalks with alluvial soil substrate and decomposed remains of vegetation. Some brick buildings are destroyed due to trees growing on the roofs and brick walls of the buildings.

The gigantic antenna of the complex - the height of a skyscraper (150 m) and the width of seven football fields (750 m) - gave rise to many legends: for example, that it is capable of influencing the psyche of people at a distance of thousands of kilometers, or that the radar was geophysical (climatic) ) weapons (this version was actually considered by the US Congress), etc.

The second part of the article is devoted to ways to see what is beyond the horizon.
After reading the comments to, I decided to talk in more detail about VSD communications and radars based on the principles of the “heavenly beam”; about radars operating on the principles of the “earth beam” will be in the next article, if I talk about it then I’ll talk about it sequentially.

Over-the-horizon radars, an engineer’s attempt to explain the complex in simple terms. (part two) "Russian Woodpecker", "Zeus" and "Antey".

INSTEAD OF A FOREWORD

In the first part of the article, I explained the basics necessary for understanding. Therefore, if suddenly something becomes unclear, read it, learn something new or refresh something forgotten. In this part, I decided to move from theory to specifics and tell the story based on real examples. For examples, in order to avoid stuffing, misinformation and inciting the farts of armchair analysts, I will use systems that have been in operation for a long time and are not secret. Since this is not my specialization, I am telling you what I learned when I was a student from teachers in the subject “Fundamentals of Radiolocation and Radio Navigation,” and what I dug up from various sources on the Internet. Comrades are well versed in this topic, if you find an inaccuracy, constructive criticism is always welcome.

"RUSSIAN WOODPECKER" AKA "ARC"

"DUGA" is the first over-the-horizon radar in the union (not to be confused with over-the-horizon radars) designed to detect ballistic missile launches. Three stations of this series are known: Experimental installation “DUGA-N” near Nikolaev, “DUGA-1” in the village of Chernobyl-2, “DUGA-2” in the village of Bolshaya Kartel near Komsomolsk-on-Amur. At the moment, all three stations have been decommissioned, their electronic equipment has been dismantled, and the antenna arrays have also been dismantled, except for the station located in Chernobyl. The antenna field of the DUGA station is one of the most noticeable structures in the exclusion zone after the building of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant itself.

Antenna field "ARC" in Chernobyl, although it looks more like a wall)

The station operated in the HF range at frequencies of 5-28 MHz. Please note that the photo shows, roughly speaking, two walls. Since it was impossible to create one sufficiently broadband antenna, it was decided to divide the operating range into two antennas, each designed for its own frequency band. The antennas themselves are not one solid antenna, but consist of many relatively small antennas. This design is called a Phased Array Antenna (PAR). In the photo below there is one segment of such a PAR:

This is what one segment of the "ARC" HEADLIGHTS looks like, without supporting structures.

Arrangement of individual elements on the supporting structure

A few words about what PAR is. Some asked me to describe what it is and how it works, I was already thinking about starting, but I came to the conclusion that I would have to do this in the form of a separate article, since I need to tell a lot of theory for understanding, so an article about phased array will be in the future. And in a nutshell: the phased array allows you to receive radio waves coming at it from a certain direction and filter out everything that comes from other directions, and you can change the direction of reception without changing the position of the phased array in space. What is interesting is that these two antennas, in the photographs from above, are receiving, that is, they could not transmit (radiate) anything into space. There is a mistaken opinion that the emitter for the "ARC" was the nearby "CIRCLE" complex, this is not so. The VNZ "KRUG" (not to be confused with the KRUG air defense system) was intended for other purposes, although it worked in tandem with the "ARC", more about it below. The arc emitter was located 60 km from Chernobyl-2 near the city of Lyubech (Chernigov region). Unfortunately, I could not find more than one reliable photograph of this object, there is only a verbal description: “The transmitting antennas were also built on the principle of a phased antenna array and were smaller and lower, their height was 85 meters.” If anyone suddenly has photographs of this structure, I would be very grateful. The receiving system of the "DUGA" air defense system consumed about 10 MW, but I cannot say how much the transmitter consumed because the numbers are very different in different sources, but I can say offhand that the power of one pulse was no less than 160 MW. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the emitter was pulsed, and it was precisely these pulses that the Americans heard on their air that gave the station its name “Woodpecker”. The use of pulses is necessary so that with their help it is possible to achieve more radiated power than the constant power consumption of the emitter. This is achieved by storing energy in the period between pulses, and emitting this energy in the form of a short-term pulse. Typically, the time between pulses is at least ten times longer than the time of the pulse itself. It is this colossal energy consumption that explains the construction of the station in relative proximity to a nuclear power plant - the source of energy. This is how the “Russian woodpecker” sounded by the way on American radio. As for the capabilities of the "ARC", stations of this type could only detect a massive rocket launch during which a large number of torches of ionized gas were formed from the rocket engines. I found this picture with the viewing sectors of three “DUGA” type stations:

This picture is correct partly because it only shows the viewing directions, and the viewing sectors themselves are not marked correctly. Depending on the state of the ionosphere, the viewing angle was approximately 50-75 degrees, although in the picture it is shown at a maximum of 30 degrees. The viewing range again depended on the state of the ionosphere and was no less than 3 thousand km, and in the best case it was possible to see launches right beyond the equator. From which it could be concluded that the stations scanned the entire territory of North America, the Arctic, and the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in a word, almost all possible areas for launching ballistic missiles.

VNZ "CIRCLE"

For correct operation of the air defense radar and determination of the optimal path for the sounding beam, it is necessary to have accurate data on the state of the ionosphere. To obtain this data, the “CIRCLE” station for Reverse Oblique Sounding (ROS) of the ionosphere was designed. The station consisted of two rings of antennas similar to HEADLIGHTS "ARC" only located vertically, there were a total of 240 antennas, each 12 meters high, and one antenna stood on a one-story building in the center of the circles.

VNZ "CIRCLE"

Unlike "ARC", the receiver and transmitter are located in the same place. The task of this complex was to constantly determine the wavelengths that propagate in the atmosphere with the least attenuation, the range of their propagation and the angles at which the waves are reflected from the ionosphere. Using these parameters, the path of the beam to the target and back was calculated and the receiving phased array was configured in such a way as to receive only its reflected signal. In simple words, the angle of arrival of the reflected signal was calculated and the maximum sensitivity of the phased array was created in this direction.

MODERN air defense systems "DON-2N" "DARYAL", "VOLGA", "VORONEZH"

These stations are still on alert (except for Daryal), there is very little reliable information on them, so I will outline their capabilities superficially. Unlike "DUGI", these stations can record individual missile launches, and even detect cruise missiles flying at very low speeds. In general, the design has not changed; these are the same phased arrays used for receiving and transmitting signals. The signals used have changed, they are the same pulsed, but now they are spread evenly over the working frequency band; in simple words, this is no longer the knock of a woodpecker, but uniform noise, which is difficult to distinguish from other noise without knowing the original structure of the signal. The frequencies also changed; if the arc operated in the HF range, then “Daryal” is capable of operating in HF, VHF and UHF. Targets can now be identified not only by gas exhaust but also by the target carcass itself; I already talked about the principles of detecting targets against the background of the ground in the previous article.

LONG LONG VHF RADIO COMMUNICATION

In the last article I briefly talked about kilometer waves. Maybe in the future I’ll do an article on these types of communications, but now I’ll briefly tell you using the examples of two ZEUS transmitters and the 43rd communications center of the Russian Navy. The title SDV is purely symbolic, since these lengths fall outside the generally accepted classifications, and systems using them are rare. ZEUS uses waves with a length of 3656 km and a frequency of 82 hertz. A special antenna system is used for radiation. A piece of land with the lowest possible conductivity is found, and two electrodes are driven into it at a distance of 60 km to a depth of 2-3 km. For radiation, a high-voltage voltage is applied to the electrodes with a given frequency (82 Hz), since the resistance of the earth's rock is extremely high between the electrodes, the electric current has to go through the deeper layers of the earth, thereby turning them into a huge antenna. During operation, Zeus consumes 30 MW, but the emitted power is no more than 5 Watts. However, these 5 Watts are completely enough for the signal to travel completely through the entire globe; the work of Zeus is recorded even in Antarctica, although it itself is located on the Kola Peninsula. If you adhere to the old Soviet standards, "Zeus" operates in the ELF (extremely low frequency) range. The peculiarity of this type of communication is that it is one-way, so its purpose is to transmit conditional short signals, upon hearing which, submarines float to a shallow depth to communicate with the command center or release a radio buoy. Interestingly, Zeus remained secret until the 1990s, when scientists at Stanford University (California) published a number of intriguing statements regarding research in the field of radio engineering and radio transmission. Americans have witnessed an unusual phenomenon - scientific radio equipment located on all continents of the Earth regularly, at the same time, records strange repeating signals at a frequency of 82 Hz. The transmission speed per session is three digits every 5-15 minutes. The signals come directly from the earth's crust - researchers have a mystical feeling as if the planet itself is talking to them. Mysticism is the lot of medieval obscurantists, and the advanced Yankees immediately realized that they were dealing with an incredible ELF transmitter located somewhere on the other side of the Earth. Where? It is clear where - in Russia. It looks like these crazy Russians have short-circuited the entire planet, using it as a giant antenna to transmit encrypted messages.

The 43rd communications center of the Russian Navy presents a slightly different type of long-wave transmitter (radio station "Antey", RJH69). The station is located near the town of Vileika, Minsk region, Republic of Belarus, the antenna field covers an area of ​​6.5 square kilometers. It consists of 15 masts with a height of 270 meters and three masts with a height of 305 meters, elements of the antenna field are stretched between the masts, the total weight of which is about 900 tons. The antenna field is located above wetlands, which provides good conditions for signal radiation. I myself was next to this station and I can say that just words and pictures cannot convey the size and sensations that this giant evokes in reality.

This is what the antenna field looks like on Google maps; the clearings over which the main elements are stretched are clearly visible.

View from one of the Antea masts

The power of "Antey" is at least 1 MW, unlike air defense radar transmitters, it is not pulsed, that is, during operation it emits this same mega watt or more, all the time it is working. The exact information transmission speed is not known, but if we draw an analogy with the German captured Goliath, it is no less than 300 bps. Unlike the Zeus, communication is already two-way; submarines for communication use either many-kilometer towed wire antennas, or special radio buoys that are released by the submarine from great depths. The VLF range is used for communication; the communication range covers the entire northern hemisphere. The advantages of VSD communication are that it is difficult to jam it with interference, and it can also work in conditions of a nuclear explosion and after it, while higher frequency systems cannot establish communication due to interference in the atmosphere after the explosion. In addition to communication with submarines, "Antey" is used for radio reconnaissance and transmitting precise time signals of the "Beta" system.

INSTEAD OF AN AFTERWORD

This is not the final article about the principles of looking beyond the horizon, there will be more, in this one, at the request of readers, I focused on real systems instead of theory.. I also apologize for the delay in the release, I am not a blogger or a resident of the Internet, I have a job that I love and who periodically “loves” me very much, so I write articles in between times. I hope it was interesting to read, because I am still in trial mode and have not yet decided what style to write in. Constructive criticism is welcome as always. Well, and especially for philologists, an anecdote at the end:

Matan teacher about philologists:
-...Spit in the face of anyone who says that philologists are tender violets with sparkling eyes! I am begging you! In fact, they are gloomy, bilious types, ready to tear out the tongue of their interlocutor for phrases like “pay for water”, “it’s my birthday”, “there is a hole in my coat”...
Voice from the back:
- What's wrong with these phrases?
The teacher adjusted his glasses:
“And on your corpse, young man, they would even jump.”

Lieutenant Colonel V. Petrov

As a result of the improvement and proliferation of air-missile attack weapons throughout the world, the likelihood of surprise air-based strikes increases both on the territory of the state itself and on troops stationed abroad. In addition, according to the leadership of foreign countries, transnational threats such as drug trafficking, illegal immigration and terrorism, as well as intrusion of ships into exclusively economic zones, pose a serious danger in peacetime.

Foreign experts are considering over-the-horizon radar stations (OG radars) of spatial and surface waves as a means of monitoring air and surface space, making it possible to eliminate the surprise of an air strike and ensure control over exclusive economic zones.

To date, the following assets have been adopted and operate in the interests of air defense: the American over-the-horizon system CONUS (CONUS OTN - Continental US Over-the-Horizon Radar) and the modernized transportable 3D radar of the AN/TPS-71 type; bistatic 3G radars in China; Australian JORN (JORN - Jindalee Operational Radar Network); French "Nostradamus", work on which has already been completed.

The American fixed-line CONUS system now has two radar posts - eastern and western. Since mid-1991, the eastern post has been transferred to limited use. As part of the expansion of the KONUS network, a 3G sky wave radar is being deployed in Japan: on the island. Hahajima (Bailey) - transmission system and on the island. Iwo Jima (Ioto) is the station's receiver and control center. The purpose of creating this radar is to strengthen control over the Aleutian Islands.

Capabilities of over-the-horizon and over-the-horizon radar equipment for detecting air and surface objects: L - bottom of a conventional radar; B - directional pattern of over-the-horizon radar equipment; 1 - low-flying air objects; 2- airborne objects at high and medium altitudes; 3 - boat; 4 - patrol boat; 5 - sea zone ship

Transmitting antenna and containers with station transmitter equipment AN/TPS-71

AN/TPS-71 station control center and receiving antenna

Receiving antenna of the ZG radar "Nostradamus"

Capabilities of the SWR-503 surface wave radar for monitoring a 200-mile coastal zone: 1 - warships; 2 - air objects flying at low altitudes at high speeds; 3 - offshore oil platforms; 5 - fishing vessels; 6 - airborne objects at high and medium altitudes

Schematic construction of a mobile surface wave radar: 1 - communication channel with the information consumer; 2 - control and communication point; 3 - receiving antenna; 4 - transmitting antenna

In addition to the radar stations of the CONUS system for detecting low-flying targets, the USA has developed and is continuously modernizing the transportable ZG radar AN/TPS-71, the distinctive feature of which is the possibility of its transfer to any region of the globe and relatively fast (up to 10-14 days) deployment on pre-prepared positions. For this purpose, the station equipment is mounted in containers. Information from the ZG radar enters the target designation system of the Navy, as well as other types of aircraft. To detect cruise missile carriers in areas adjacent to the United States, in addition to stations located in the states of Virginia, Alaska and Texas, it is planned to install an upgraded 3G radar in the state of North Dakota (or Montana) to monitor the airspace over Mexico and adjacent areas of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, a decision was made to deploy new stations to detect cruise missile carriers in the Caribbean, as well as over Central and South America. The first such station is being installed in Puerto Rico. The transmitting point is deployed on the island. Vieques, reception - in the southwestern part of the island. Puerto Rico.

In 2003, Australia adopted the over-the-horizon JORN system, capable of detecting air and surface targets at ranges inaccessible to ground-based microwave stations. The JORN system includes: bistatic 3G radar "Jindali"; a system for monitoring the state of the ionosphere, known as the FMS frequency management system (FMS - Frequency Management System); control center located at Edinburgh Air Force Base (South Australia). Bistatic 3G radar "Jindalee" includes: control center JIFAS (JFAS - Jindalee Facility at Alice Spring) in Alice Spring, two separate stations: the first with a 90° viewing area is located in the state of Queensland (transmitting point - in Longreach, receiving point - near Stonehenge ), the second with a viewing area of ​​180° in azimuth is located in the state of Western Australia (the transmitting point is located northeast of Laverton, the receiving point is northwest of this city).

There are two bistatic 3G radars in China: one is located in the Xinjiang province (its detection zone is oriented towards Western Siberia), the other is near the coast of the South China Sea. Chinese bistatic stations largely use technical solutions used on the Australian ZG radar.

In France, under the Nostradamus project, the development of a terrestrial tilt-return radar has been completed, which detects small targets at ranges of 800-3,000 km. An important difference of this station is the ability to simultaneously detect air targets within 360° in azimuth. Another characteristic feature is the use of a monostatic construction method instead of the traditional bistatic one. The station is located 100 km west of Paris.

Research conducted abroad in the field of 3D radars has shown that increasing the accuracy of target location determination can be achieved through the use of reference signal sources installed in the station's viewing area. Calibration of such stations for accuracy and resolution can also be carried out using signals from aircraft equipped with special equipment.

Foreign experts consider over-the-horizon surface wave radar stations as one of the most promising and relatively inexpensive means of effective control over air and surface space. The information received from the surface wave radar makes it possible to increase the time required to make appropriate decisions.

A comparative analysis of the capabilities of over-the-horizon and over-the-horizon surface wave radars for detecting air and surface objects shows that 3G surface wave radars are significantly superior to conventional ground-based radars in detection range and ability to track both stealth and low-flying targets and surface ships of various displacements. At the same time, the ability to detect airborne objects at high and medium altitudes is slightly lower, which does not affect the effectiveness of over-the-horizon radar systems. In addition, the costs of acquiring and operating 3G surface wave radars are relatively low and commensurate with their efficiency.

Representative samples of surface wave radars that have been adopted by foreign countries are the SWR-503 and Overseer stations. SWR-503 was developed by the Canadian branch of Raytheon in accordance with the requirements of the Canadian Department of Defense. It is designed to monitor air and surface space over ocean areas adjacent to the country's east coast, as well as to detect and track surface and air targets within the boundaries of the exclusive economic zone.

The SWR-503 surface wave radar for monitoring a 200-mile coastal zone can also be used to detect icebergs, monitor the environment, and search for distressed ships and aircraft. To monitor air and sea space in the area of ​​the island. Newfoundland, which has significant coastal fisheries and oil reserves, already operates two unmanned stations of this type and an operational control center. It is assumed that the SWR-503 will be used to control aircraft air traffic over the entire altitude range and monitor targets below the radar horizon.

During testing, the radar provided detection and tracking of all targets that were observed by other air defense and coastal defense systems. Experiments were also conducted aimed at ensuring the possibility of detecting cruise missiles flying over the sea surface, however, to effectively solve this problem in full, according to Western experts, it is necessary to expand the operating range of the radar to 15-20 MHz. According to their calculations, states with a long coastline can install a network of such radars at intervals of up to 370 km to ensure complete coverage of the air and sea surveillance zone within their borders.

The cost of one sample of the SWR-503 surface wave radar in service is 8-10 million US dollars. Operation and comprehensive maintenance of the station are estimated at approximately 400 thousand per year.

The Overseer 3G radar, representing a new family of surface wave stations, was developed by Marconi and is intended for both civil and military use. Using the effect of wave propagation over the surface, the station is capable of detecting at long ranges and various altitudes air and sea objects of all classes that cannot be detected by conventional radars.

When creating the station, foreign specialists used technical solutions that will make it possible to obtain better information about targets over large areas of sea and air space with rapid data updating.

The cost of one sample of the Overseer surface wave radar in a single-position version is 6-8 million dollars. Operation and comprehensive maintenance of the station, depending on the tasks being solved, is estimated at 300-400 thousand per year.

The development of a surface wave radar in Japan continues, but its performance characteristics are focused mainly on monitoring hydrometeorological conditions and surface currents within a 200-mile zone. After improving the software, such stations will be able to solve air and surface reconnaissance tasks.

The 3G surface wave radar, developed in China, is designed to monitor coastal waters at a range of about 400 km. A log-periodic antenna is used as a transmitting antenna array. The receiving antenna is a chain of vertical grounded vibrators.

A further development of 3G surface wave radar could be the introduction of a difference-hyperbolic method for determining the coordinates of air objects. Based on this method, a shipborne multi-position 3G surface wave radar was studied under the SWOTHR (Surface Wave Over-The-Horizon Radar) program. The novelty and peculiarity of the multi-position 3G radar lies in the shift in emphasis when solving problems of determining the location of air and surface targets to software rather than hardware, as is done in modern 3G radars. The use of a multi-position station construction option will allow
replace complex antenna fields with linear dimensions of hundreds and thousands of meters with omnidirectional vertical vibrators to detect targets in azimuth within 360°. To implement the planned program for deploying radar as part of a ship group, it is necessary to have several surface ships equipped with special equipment, as well as to develop new software based on the use of high-performance computers.

After assessing the research results, foreign experts focused their efforts on creating a single-position 3G radar under a project called HFSWR (High Frequency Surface Wave Radar). As part of this project, a mobile surface wave station is being developed on the basis of existing surface wave radars of the SWR-503 and SWR-610 types.

It is expected that the deployment of the ZG radar and its preparation for combat missions will take several hours. The station will be capable of detecting and tracking both stealthy and low-flying targets, as well as surface ships of various displacements, using the full available spectrum of optimal frequencies.

Thus, foreign experts predict a further increase in the capabilities for detecting air targets and an expansion of the frequency range of the 3G sky wave radar, mainly through the use of means of “radio heating” of the ionosphere and calibration. Over-the-horizon surface wave radars will remain an effective means of air and sea surveillance. Work will continue on the creation of a surface wave radar in mobile and multi-position versions.

If the name Chernobyl is familiar to almost everyone today, and after the disaster at the nuclear power plant it became a household name that thundered throughout the world, then few people have heard about the Chernobyl-2 facility. Moreover, this town was located in close proximity to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, but it was impossible to find it on a topographic map. When examining maps from the period, you will likely find a boarding house designation or dotted lines of forest roads where this small town was located. In the USSR they knew how to keep and hide secrets, especially if they were military.

Only with the collapse of the USSR and the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant did at least some information appear about the existence of a small town (military garrison) in the Polesie forests that was engaged in “space espionage.” In the 1970s, Soviet scientists developed unique radar systems that made it possible to monitor ballistic missile launches from the territory of a potential enemy (submarines and military bases). The developed radar belonged to over-the-horizon radar stations (ZRGLS). Possessing huge sizes of receiving antennas and masts, the ZGRLS required a large human resource. About 1,000 military personnel were on combat duty at the facility. An entire small town was built for the military, as well as members of their families, with one street called Kurchatova.

Guides to the Chernobyl exclusion zone, who are usually called “stalkers,” like to tell one story from 25 years ago. After the USSR recognized the fact of accidents at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, a stream of journalists from all over the world poured into the exclusion zone. Among the first Western journalists who arrived here and were allowed to the site of the disaster was the legendary American Phil Donahue. Driving near the village of Kopachi, from the car window he noticed objects of impressive size, which rose significantly above the forest and aroused justifiable curiosity on his part. To his question: “What is this?”, the security officers accompanying the group just silently looked at each other until one of them came up with a suitable answer. According to legend, he explained that this was an unfinished hotel. Naturally, Donahue did not believe this, but he could not verify his suspicions; he was categorically denied access to this object.

There is nothing strange in this, since the “unfinished hotel” was a kind of pride of the Soviet defense industry and automatically one of the most secret objects. It was the over-the-horizon radar station Duga-1, also known as the Chernobyl-2 facility or simply Duga. “Duga” (5N32) is a Soviet ZGRLS operating in the interests of an early detection system for launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The main task of this station was the early detection of ICBM launches, not only in Europe, but also “beyond the horizon” in the United States. In those years, none of the world's stations had such technological capabilities.

Today, only the American HAARP (High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) has the technology that would be most similar to that used on Soviet ZGRLS. According to official information, this project is aimed at studying auroras. Moreover, according to unofficial information, this station, located in Alaska, is a secret American one, with the help of which Washington can control various climatic phenomena on the planet. Various speculations on this topic have not subsided on the Internet for many years now. It is worth noting that similar “conspiracy theories” surrounded the domestic Duga station. Moreover, the first station from the HAARP line was put into operation only in 1997, while in the USSR the first facility of this type appeared in Komsomolsk-on-Amur back in 1975.

While the inhabitants of Chernobyl, as they thought, were working with peaceful atoms, the inhabitants of their namesake city, more than 1,000 people, were, in fact, engaged in space espionage on a planetary scale. One of the main arguments for placing the ZGRLS in Chernobyl Polesie was the presence of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant nearby. The Soviet superlocator allegedly consumed up to 10 megawatts of electricity. The general designer of the ZGRLS was NIIDAR - Research Institute of Long-Range Radio Communications. The chief designer was engineer Franz Kuzminsky. The cost of construction of this heavy-duty radar is indicated differently in different sources, but it is known that the construction of Duga-1 cost the USSR 2 times more than the commissioning of 4 Chernobyl nuclear power units.

It is important to note the fact that the ZGRLS, located in Chernobyl-2, was intended only to receive the signal. The transmitting center was located in close proximity to the village of Rassudov near the city of Lyubech in the Chernigov region at a distance of 60 km. from Chernobyl-2. The antennas transmitting the signal were also made on the principle of a phased array antenna and were lower and smaller, their height was up to 85 meters. Today this radar has been destroyed.

The small town of Chernobyl-2 quickly grew up next to the top-secret construction project completed in record time. Its population, as already mentioned, was at least 1000 inhabitants. All of them worked at the ZGRLS station, which, in addition to equipment, included 2 giant antennas - high-frequency and low-frequency. Judging by the available images from space, the length of the high-frequency antenna was 230 meters and the height was 100 meters. The low-frequency antenna was an even more impressive structure, its length was 460 meters and its height was almost 150 meters. This truly unique miracle of engineering, which has no analogues in the world (today the antennas have only been partially dismantled), was capable of covering almost the entire planet with its signal and instantly detecting a massive launch of ballistic missiles from any continent.

True, it is worth noting that almost immediately after this station was put into trial operation, and this happened on May 31, 1982, some problems and inconsistencies were noted. Firstly, this radar could only detect a large concentration of targets. This could only happen in the event of a massive nuclear strike. At the same time, the complex could not track the launch of single targets. Secondly, many of the frequency ranges on which the ZGRLS operated coincided with the systems of civil aviation and the civil fishing fleet of the USSR and European countries. Representatives from various countries soon began to complain about interference with their radio equipment systems. When the ZGRLS station began operating on air almost all over the world, characteristic knocks began to sound, which drowned out high-frequency transmitters, and sometimes even telephone conversations.

Despite the fact that Chernobyl-2 was a top-secret facility, Europe quickly figured out the reasons for the interference, nicknamed the Soviet station the “Russian Woodpecker” for its characteristic sounds on the air, and filed claims against the Soviet government. The USSR received a number of official statements from Western states, which noted that the systems created in the Soviet Union significantly affect the safety of maritime navigation and aviation. In response to this, the USSR made concessions on its part and stopped using operating frequencies. At the same time, the designers were given a task; they were instructed to eliminate the identified shortcomings of the radar station. The designers, together with scientists, were able to solve the problem, and after the modernization of the ZGRLS in 1985, it began to undergo the state acceptance procedure, which was interrupted by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

After the accident that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant on April 26, 1986, the station was removed from combat duty, and its equipment was mothballed. The civilian and military population from the facility was urgently evacuated from the area that was exposed to radiation contamination. When the military and the leadership of the USSR were able to assess the full scale of the environmental disaster that had occurred and the fact that the Chernobyl-2 facility could no longer be launched, a decision was made to remove valuable systems and equipment to the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, this happened in 1987 year.

Thus, a unique object of the Soviet defense complex, which was part of the space shield of the Soviet state, ceased to function. The city and urban infrastructure were forgotten and abandoned. Currently, the only reminders of the former power of the superpower at this abandoned facility are the huge antennas, which have not lost their stability to this day, attracting the attention of tourists who are rare in these places. Possessing simply colossal dimensions, the antennas of this station are visible from almost anywhere in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Information sources:
- http://tainy.info/world-around/chernobyl-2-ili-russkij-dyatel/
- http://chornobyl.in.ua/chernobyl-2.html
- http://lplaces.com/ru/reports/12-chornobyl-2

It is worth talking about those systems with the help of which in the near future a continuous field of radar control of the country’s aerospace space will be created. The airspace of neighboring countries will also be monitored. Moreover, at all heights - from the very surface to near space.

This task is not trivial, given the vast expanses of our country. It can be solved using non-trivial technical means. And we have such means. On December 2 of this year, the new generation 29B6 “Container” over-the-horizon detection radar entered experimental combat duty in Mordovia.

This is the first node of the network of reconnaissance and warning stations for aerospace attacks being created. The system will be built on the basis of new radar stations (RLS), including over-the-horizon (ZGRLS) 29B6. What is their fundamental difference from other radars?

First of all - in range. ZGRLS "Container" is capable of detecting targets at a range of about 3000 km. Moreover, both targets at altitudes of up to 100 km, and low-flying targets near the ground or the surface of the sea! The station, which took up duty near the city of Kovylkino (100 km from the capital of Mordovia, Saransk), is capable of viewing the entire territory of Poland and Germany in a westerly direction. And since the station has a gigantic viewing sector - 180 degrees - all of Turkey, Syria and Israel in the south fall within the control zone; the entire Baltic Sea and Finland in the northwest. How is this possible? To understand this, you will have to dwell a little on the technical details.

Stations 29B6 belong to the so-called over-the-horizon surface wave stations. Its operating principle differs from above-horizon stations. As you know, the Earth has the shape of a ball. For this reason, a conventional radar does not “see” what is happening near the surface of the earth, beyond the radio horizon (zone of direct radio visibility). Powerful radars are capable of tracking targets at enormous ranges and altitudes, including in space. But not at low altitudes - the zone of direct radio visibility is limited to only tens of kilometers. Placing radars on hills and mast devices, of course, allows you to expand the radio horizon. But still only at a range of up to 100 km.

Only long-range radar detection (AWACS) aircraft can raise the radar higher above the horizon. But they also have significant drawbacks. The signal power of “airborne radars” and the quality of reception and processing of reflected signals are limited by the weight of the equipment that an aircraft can lift into the air. In addition, the AWACS aircraft is quite vulnerable to ground-based electronic warfare systems and various weapons.

Surface wave ZGRLS is capable of looking far beyond the horizon without rising into the air. Such a station emits a radio signal upward. Reflecting from the Earth's ionosphere as if from a mirror, the signal again goes to the earth's (or water) surface, but already far beyond the horizon. Having reached the ground, the radio signal is scattered, but a small part of the signal returns back (also reflected from the ionosphere) to the radar receiving devices.

The receiving part of the ZGRLS can be located quite far from the emitting part. Thus, in Mordovia there is the receiving part of the new ZGRLS and the hardware for isolating and processing the useful signal. And the radiating part is in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In general, these are quite large structures. They consist of dozens of antenna-feeder masts with a height of more than 30 meters. In Kovylkino, the line of such masts stretched for almost one and a half kilometers. Despite this, the ZGRLS is quite mobile.

Antenna mast systems can be assembled quite quickly on equipped sites. And all equipment, including a powerful computing complex, is placed in transportable containers. Due to the fact that the Container ZGRLS does not require the construction of special capital structures, the commissioning of new stations can occur quite quickly.

ZGRLS 29B6 “Container” operates on short radio waves (decameter, from 3 to 30 MHz). They are reflected from the ionosphere with low losses. For waves of this length there is no so-called “stealth technology” (technology for passive reduction of radio signature). Any “stealthy” aircraft, cruise missile or ship will give an excellent reflected signal, moreover, amplified by secondary radiation (reflections inside the structure).

The very idea of ​​an over-the-horizon location is not new. It was proposed back in 1946 by the Soviet scientist and designer Nikolai Kabanov. But the implementation of the idea turned out to be associated with a large amount of scientific and technical work. And we walked to the “Container” station along a long and difficult path. Let us allow ourselves a short historical excursion.

The first experimental ZGRLS appeared here in the early 60s in the area of ​​​​the city of Nikolaev. In 1964, she first detected a rocket launched from Baikonur at a range of 3000 km. And then they were built two combat ZGRLS "Duga"- one near Chernobyl (in the early 70s), the other in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur region (in the early 80s). They were supposed to be part of the missile attack warning system and were aimed at North America (only from different sides of the globe).

Two “Arcs”, duplicating each other, controlled the entire territory of the United States and vast surrounding areas. They were supposed to detect ballistic missile launches near the surface of the Earth so that a retaliatory nuclear strike could be launched earlier. Their range reached a fantastic 10,000 km. It was achieved due to multiple reflections of the signal from the ionosphere and the Earth's surface.

Over-the-horizon detection radar 29B6 “Container”

However, such “multi-hop” ZGRLS had a significant drawback. They lacked precision. “Arcs” did not allow accurately determining the coordinates of targets due to the fact that the beam “beat” the ionosphere several times. Additional distortions in the work of “Arc” were introduced by chaotic disturbances of the ionosphere, which were poorly studied at that time, and compensation for these distortions had not yet been worked out.

The construction of combat "Arcs" was started before the completion of experiments at the experimental station in Nikolaev, when sufficient experience in over-the-horizon location had not yet been accumulated. In addition, already in the late 80s, the Americans built powerful radiating systems in Norway, and then in Japan and Alaska. They were supposed to create nonlinear effects in the ionosphere, interfering with the normal functioning of the ZGRLS. We learned to deal with these effects, although not immediately.

But, nevertheless, the “Arcs” were never put into service. And the early warning system relied on over-the-horizon stations that could detect not taking off ballistic missiles, but only their attacking warheads. Currently, the detection of ballistic missile launches in the missile attack warning system is carried out by the space echelon as part of the satellite constellation.

It is worth saying that the Duga ZGRLS still left its mark on history. It gave rise to a lot of fairy tales about “psychotronic radiation” and “climate weapons”. The fact is that the start of work of the “strange Soviet radio station” (in 1976) was impossible not to notice. The signal strength was such that it was received by ordinary radio receivers around the world. It was heard as a pulsating knock, which quickly earned the station the nickname "Russian Woodpecker". In addition, Duga disrupted radio communications because it operated on frequencies that were actively used throughout the world.

The USA, Great Britain and Canada even protested to the Soviet Union, although without any result. At the same time, the purpose of such a strange radio signal remained a mystery for a long time. Naturally, the Western press headlines quickly filled with speculation that “ Russians want to influence the consciousness of people all over the world" And the news that the signal was directed at the ionosphere quickly led to speculation about the impact of the “cunning Russians” on the Earth’s climate. Echoes of these fables still excite minds today, including ours.

The second over-the-horizon system, already much more advanced, was the Volna station. Their appearance would have been impossible without the participation of the outstanding Soviet statesman - Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Sergei Georgievich Gorshkov. Difficulties with the first ZGRLS led to a skeptical attitude towards them among the Soviet leadership. Whereas Sergei Georgievich was a real champion of breakthrough military technologies. Through his efforts, the first combat laser systems and systems using electromagnetic pulses as a damaging factor were tested in the fleet. Although truly effective examples of such weapons are only appearing today, it is to the credit of the Soviet Navy Commander-in-Chief that he was not afraid to take responsibility, giving rise to developments that seemed fantastic at the time.

The Volna station was designed in the interests of the fleet. It was intended for control of the surface and air situation in the near 200-mile zone and radar reconnaissance in the far zone up to 3000 km. The “wave” was not supposed to “illuminate” the territory of the United States, so it worked within one signal reflection from the ionosphere. This made it possible to achieve high accuracy of the obtained data on targets, unattainable for stations of the previous generation.

Over-the-horizon far-field radar "Volna" (GP-120)

In 1986, the Volna station began operating in experimental mode in the Far East (near Nakhodka). It was constantly improved, its software and algorithmic complex was modernized, and its energy potential increased. By 1990, the station consistently detected and accompanied US aircraft carrier groups in the Pacific Ocean at ranges well above 3000 km, and individual air targets at ranges up to 2800 km.

In 1999, a new ZGRLS "Taurus" was built in Kamchatka, also in the interests of the fleet.. It uses a lower power signal and is used to detect ships and air targets at a range of up to 250 km. The development of the Taurus was the coastal ZGRLS "Sunflower", which are now being built in various parts of our country and are even offered for export. Their range is about 450 km.

And finally, Following the fleet, new over-the-horizon stations appear in the air defense/air defense forces. Station 29B6 “Container” is a development of the naval “Volna”. It began operating in experimental mode back in 2002. Since that time, vast experience in over-the-horizon radar has been accumulated, and the technical means of the station itself have been repeatedly modernized.

At the moment, all the main modes of its use have been worked out, and in the Far East preparations have begun for the construction of a serial “Container” station. In total, more than ten similar stations will be built, which will make it possible to quickly cover the entire territory of the country and the vast adjacent aerospace space with a continuous radar field.