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Dnestr radar

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Dnestr radar(Russian:Днестр) andDnepr radar(Russian:Днепр), both known by theNATO reporting nameHen House,[note 1]are the first generation of Sovietspace surveillanceandearly warning radars.Six radars of this type were built on the periphery of theSoviet Unionstarting in the 1960s to provideballistic missilewarnings for attacks from different directions. They were the primary Soviet early warning radars for much of the laterCold War.In common with other Soviet and Russian early warning radars they are named after rivers, theDnestrand theDnepr.[note 2]

Dnestr/Dnestr-M/Dnepr
A US military artist's concept of a Dnestr-M/Dnepr
Country of originSoviet Union,Russia
DesignerMints Radiotechnical Institute
Introduced1963(1963)(Dnestr-M)
No.built15
TypeSpace surveillance(Dnestr)
Early warning radar(Dnestr-M, Dnepr, Dnepr-M)
Frequency154–162MHz(VHF)[1]
Beamwidth0.5°(N-S), 10°(E-W)[1]
Pulsewidth0.8 ms long[2]
Range3,000 kilometres (1,864 mi)[3]1,900 kilometres (1,181 mi) for targets with an area of 1 m2[2][4]: 75 
DiameterEach array is 244 metres (801 ft) long, 20 metres (66 ft) high and 12 metres (39 ft) wide[1]
Azimuth30°,[5]30 per transmitter giving 120 in total[2][4]: 75 
Elevation5° to 35°[4]: 75 
Precision± 1 km range, 10 min azimuth, 50 min elevation, 5 m/s range rate[4]: 75 
PowerPeak power of 1.25 MW per transmitter[2][4]: 75 
Radiating power 200 kW[4]: 75 
Consumed power 2100 kW[4]: 75 
Other NamesNATO:Hen House[6]
GRAU:5N15 (Dnestr), 5N15M (Dnestr-M), 5N86 (Dnepr)

The Dnestr/Dnepr radars were intended to be replaced by the newerDaryal radarsstarting in the 1990s. Only two of the planned Daryal radars became operational, due to issues such as thedissolution of the Soviet Union.As of 2012, the Russian early warning network still consists of some radars of this vintage. It is likely that all the existing radars will be replaced by the third generationVoronezh radarsby 2020.

TsSO-P

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The Dnestr radar came from work on ballistic missile defence undertaken in the late 1950s and early 1960s. System A, the prototype for theA-35 anti-ballistic missile system,was set up in theSary Shagantesting grounds, in theKazakh SSR.[7]: 123 Work on the system was led by design bureauKB-1which proposed usingVHFradar RTN (Russian:РТН) and theDunay-2UHFradar. Other alternatives were sought from Soviet industry andRTIproposed using VHF radar TsSO-P (Russian:ЦСО-П) and UHF radar TsSS-30 (Russian:ЦСС-30).[8]

TsSO-P (standing for Russian:центральная станция обнаружения – полигоннаяmeaningcentral detection station – test site) was selected for further development, together with the Dunay-2.[8]TsSO-P had a longhorn antenna250 metres (820 ft) long and 15 metres (49 ft) high. It had an array with an open ribbed structure and used 200 microseconds pulses. Hardware methods were designed for signal processing as the intended M-4 computer could not run. It was built at area 8 in Sary Shagan and was located at46°00′04.65″N73°38′52.11″E/ 46.0012917°N 73.6478083°E/46.0012917; 73.6478083.It first detected an object on 17 September 1961.[8]

TsSO-P took part in the 1961 and 1962Soviet Project K nuclear testsabove the Sary Shagan range to examine the effects ofhigh altitude nuclear explosionson missile defence hardware.[8]

Dnestr

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KH-7 GambitUS spy satellite image of a Dnestr space surveillance radar atBalkhash Radar Station,28 May 1967. Note the radar arrays are in straight line.

TsSO-P was effective at satellite tracking and was chosen as the radar of theIstrebitel Sputnikov(IS) anti-satellite programme. This programme involved the construction of two sites separated in latitude to form a radar field 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) long and 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) high. The two sites chosen were at the village ofMishelevkanearIrkutskinSiberia,which was called OS-1, and atCape GulshadonLake BalkhashnearSary Shagan,which was called OS-2. Each site received four Dnestr radar systems in a fan arrangement.[8][9][10][11]: 421 [11]: 433 [12]

A Dnestr radar was composed of two TsSO-P radar wings joined together by a two-story building containing a joint computer system and command post. Each radar wing covered a 30-degree sector with a 0.5 degree scanning beam. The elevation scanning pattern was a 'spade' with a width of 20 degrees. The radar systems were arranged to create a fan shaped barrier. Of the four radars, called cells (Russian:РЛЯ,romanized:RLYaroughly radio location cell), two faced to the west and two faced to the east. All scanned between +10 degrees and +90 degrees in elevation.[8]

Construction at the two sites started between 1962 and 1963 with improvements in the TsSO-P test model being fed back into the deployed units. They gained an M-4 2-M computer withsemiconductors,although the rest of the radar usedVacuum tubes.The radar systems were completed in late 1966 with the fourth Dnestr at Balkhash being used for testing.[8]In 1968, theDnepropetrovsk Sputniktarget satellite,DS-P1-Yu,was used to test the ability of the system.[12][13]

The Dnestr radars were accepted for service by theSoviet Air Defence Forcesin April 1967 and became part of thespace surveillancenetworkSKKP.[8][11]: 434 [14]

Dnestr-M

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Parallel with the implementation of the Dnestr space surveillance units, a modified version of the original Dnestr units, Dnestr-M radar, was being developed to act as anearly warning radarto identify attacks byballistic missiles.The first two were built at Murmansk in northern Russia (Olenegorsk– RO-1) and nearRigain the thenLatvian SSR(Skrunda– RO-2). They constituted the beginning of the SovietSPRNnetwork, the equivalent of the NATOBMEWS.[11]: 421 [8][15]

The first Dnestr-M at Olenegorsk was completed by 1968.[8]In 1970, the radars at Olenegorsk and Skrunda, and an associated command centre atSolnechnogorsk,were accepted for service. According to Podvig (2002), it seems they were positioned to identify missile launches from NATO submarines in theNorwegianandNorth Seas.[5]

The Dnestr-M included many improvements over the previous versions such as an increase in thepulse lengthfrom 200μs to 800μs which increased the range of objects identified, more semiconductors, and many other scanning and processing changes.[8]

A version of this radar was built at theSary Shagantest site and was called TsSO-PM (Russian:ЦСО-ПМ). After this had completed tests in 1965 it was decided to upgrade nodes 1 and 2 of the two OS sites to Dnestr-M, keeping nodes 3 and 4 as Dnestr. These radars remained as space surveillance radars which scanned between +10 and +90 degrees, comparative to scanning between +10 and +30 degrees for the missile warning radars. A space surveillance network of four Dnestrs and four Dnestr-Ms, and two command posts was formally commissioned in 1971.[8]

Map of Dnepr radar site at Mukachevo. The two arrays are at 196 and 260 degrees (south and west)

Dnepr

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Work to improve the radar continued. An improved array was designed which covered 60 degrees rather than 30. The first Dnepr radar was built atBalkhashas a new radar, cell 5. It entered service on 12 May 1974.[2]The second was a new early warning station atSevastopol.New Dneprs were also built atMishelevkaand another atSkrunda,and then one atMukachevo.The remaining radars were all converted to Dnepr with the exception of cells 3 and 4 at Balkhash and Mishelevka which remained space surveillance radars.[5][8][11]: 422 

All current operational radars are described as Dnepr, and have been updated incrementally.[2][16]

Technical details

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Each Dnepr array is a double sectoralhorn antenna250m long by 12 m wide.[2]It has two rows ofslot radiatorswithin twowaveguides.At each end of the two arrays, there is a set of transmitting and receiving equipment. It emits a signal covering a sector 30 degrees in azimuth and 30 degrees in elevation, with the scanning controlled by frequency. Four sets mean the radar covers 120 degrees in azimuth and 30 degrees in elevation (5 to 35 degrees).[2]

The Dnepr involved the horn antenna being reduced from 20 to 14 metres in height and the addition of apolarising filter.[8]

Current status

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These radars have been installed at six different radar stations and as of 2012 are operational at three – Balkhash, Mishelevka and Olenegorsk.[2][16][17]The 1972Anti-Ballistic Missile Treatyrequired that early warning radars were located on the periphery of national territory and faced outwards. This caused problems when theSoviet Union collapsedin 1991 as many of the radar stations were now in newly independent states.[5][15][18][19]The first station to close was Skrunda, in newly independentLatvia.A 1994 agreement between Russia and Latvia agreed that the two Dnepr radars there would stop working in 1998, and would be fully demolished by 2000.[20]: 129 [21]: 65 [11]: 426 

Russia signed an agreement with Ukraine in 1992 allowing it to continue using the Dnepr radars at Sevastopol and Mukachevo. The stations were run by Ukrainian personnel and data was sent to the headquarters of the Russian early warning system in Solnechnogorsk.[22][23]In 2008 Russia announced that it was pulling out of the agreement with Ukraine and that the last data given to Russia from the stations would be in 2009.[24]: 76 [25]The Ukrainian government announced that the stations were to be used part-time for space surveillance.[26][27]

The remaining stations in Russia and abroad are being replaced by theVoronezh radar.The Dneprs in Mishelevka, Irkutsk will close once the second array of the new Voronezh radar is operational.[citation needed]The Dnepr at Olenegorsk, Murmansk will be replaced by a Voronezh as well. It is planned to start construction there in 2017.[17][28]

Designation Location Coordinates Azimuth[5] Type Built Details
OS-1 Mishelevka Radar Station,Irkutsk,Siberia, Russia 52°52′39″N103°16′24″E/ 52.877574°N 103.273323°E/52.877574; 103.273323(Mishelevka Dnepr radar) 70, 200 Dnepr 1972–1976 Operational.[29][30]
52°52′53″N103°15′58″E/ 52.881511°N 103.266027°E/52.881511; 103.266027(Mishelevka Dnepr radar) 135 Dnestr-M 1964–1970 Dismantled 1970s. Replaced by Dnepr radar at the new position.[30]
52°52′59″N103°15′29″E/ 52.883013°N 103.258045°E/52.883013; 103.258045(Mishelevka Dnepr radar) 265 Dnestr 1964–1968 Modernised to anincoherent scatterradar. Used for research since 1993.[1][30]
52°52′33″N103°15′23″E/ 52.875787°N 103.256414°E/52.875787; 103.256414(Mishelevka Dnepr radar) 265 Dnestr 1964–1968 Decommissioned 1990s. Dismantled.[30]
52°52′29″N103°15′39″E/ 52.874829°N 103.260791°E/52.874829; 103.260791(Mishelevka Dnepr radar) 135 Dnestr-M 1967–1972 Modernised to Dnepr 1976. Operational.[29][30]
OS-2 Balkhash Radar Station,Sary Shagan,Kazakhstan 46°36′27″N74°31′24″E/ 46.60741°N 74.523304°E/46.60741; 74.523304(Balkhash Dnepr radar) 270 Dnestr 1964–1967 Decommissioned September 1995. Dismantled.[2][5]
46°36′52″N74°31′23″E/ 46.614574°N 74.523132°E/46.614574; 74.523132(Balkhash Dnepr radar) 270 Dnestr 1964–1967 Decommissioned January 1984. Dismantled.[2][31]
46°37′31″N74°31′02″E/ 46.625333°N 74.51721°E/46.625333; 74.51721(Balkhash Dnepr radar) 60 Dnestr-M 1964–1971 Modernised to Dnepr 1974. Decommissioned January 1984. Dismantled.[2][31]
46°37′53″N74°30′45″E/ 46.631463°N 74.512618°E/46.631463; 74.512618(Balkhash Dnepr radar) 60 Dnestr-M 1964–1971 Modernised to Dnepr 1974. Decommissioned September 1988. Dismantled.[2][31]
46°36′11″N74°31′52″E/ 46.603076°N 74.530985°E/46.603076; 74.530985(Balkhash Dnepr radar) 180, 124 Dnepr 1968–1972 Decommissioned 2020.[2][31][32][33]
RO-1 Olenegorsk-1,Kola Peninsula,Russia 68°06′51″N33°54′37″E/ 68.1141°N 33.9102°E/68.1141; 33.9102(Olenegorsk Dnepr radar) 323, 293 Dnestr-M 1965–1968 Modernised to Dnepr 1978, works with theDaugava radar.Operational.[34]
RO-2 Skrunda-1,Latvia 56°42′55″N21°57′47″E/ 56.715176°N 21.963036°E/56.715176; 21.963036(Skrunda Dnepr radar) 323, 293 Dnestr-M 1965–1969 Modernised to Dnepr 1979. Demolished 1999.[5]
56°42′30″N21°56′28″E/ 56.7082°N 21.9410°E/56.7082; 21.9410(Skrunda Dnepr radar) 8, 248 Dnepr 1968–1976 Demolished 1999.[5]
RO-4[35] Sevastopol Radar Station,Crimea,Ukraine/Russia 44°34′44″N33°23′10″E/ 44.5788°N 33.3862°E/44.5788; 33.3862(Sevastopol Dnepr radar) 172, 230 Dnepr 1968–1979 Closed 2009. To be replaced byVoronezh radar.[36]
RO-5[35] Mukachevo Radar Station,Zakarpattia Oblast,Ukraine 48°22′40″N22°42′27″E/ 48.377689°N 22.707446°E/48.377689; 22.707446(Mukachevo Dnepr radar) 196, 260 Dnepr 1968–1979 Closed 2009. Derelict?[37][38]

Notes

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  1. ^NATO gave these the code name "Hen House" presumably because they looked likechicken coops,according to Forden.[6]
  2. ^Other examples areVoronezh radarnamed after theVoronezh River,theDon-2N radarnamed after theDon riverand theDunay radarsnamed after the Dunay (Danube).

References

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  1. ^abcd"Incoherent Scatter Radar".East Siberian Center for the Earth's Ionosphere Research. 2002-06-25.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-11-25.Retrieved2012-02-02.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmn"Днепр" на Балхаше[ "Dnepr" in Balkhash] (in Russian). Novosti Kosmonavtiki. July 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-11-09.Retrieved2012-01-27.
  3. ^Мощные РЛС дальнего обнаружения РЛС СПРН и СККП[Powerful radar early warning radar early warning system and space surveillance] (in Russian). RTI Mints. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-30.Retrieved2012-01-30.
  4. ^abcdefgNikolai Spassky, ed. (2002).Encyclopedia "Russia's Arms and Technologies. The XXI Century Encyclopedia": Volume 5 — "Space weapons"(in English and Russian). Moscow: Publishing House "Arms and Technologies".ISBN978-5-93799-010-5.
  5. ^abcdefghPodvig, Pavel (2002)."History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System"(PDF).Science and Global Security.10(1): 21–60.Bibcode:2002S&GS...10...21P.CiteSeerX10.1.1.692.6127.doi:10.1080/08929880212328.ISSN0892-9882.S2CID122901563.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-03-15.
  6. ^abForden, Geoffrey (May 3, 2001)."Reducing a Common Danger: Improving Russia's Early-Warning System"(PDF).Cato Policy Analysis No. 399.Archived(PDF)from the original on October 10, 2012.RetrievedMay 5,2012.
  7. ^Zaloga, Steven(2002).The Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces 1945–2000.Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press.ISBN978-1588340078.
  8. ^abcdefghijklmnIvantsov, Viktor.От "Днестра" до "Днепра"[From Dnestr to Dnepr] (in Russian). VKO. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-04-17.Retrieved2012-07-22.
  9. ^O'Connor, Sean (2009)."Russian/Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems".Air Power Australia: 1.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-12-02.Retrieved2012-01-07.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
  10. ^"Hen House".Federation of American Scientists.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-12-24.Retrieved2012-01-27.
  11. ^abcdefBukharin, Oleg; Kadyshev, Timur; Miasnikov, Eugene; Podvig, Pavel; Sutyagin, Igor; Tarashenko, Maxim; Zhelezov, Boris (2001). Podvig, Pavel (ed.).Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.ISBN978-0-262-16202-9.
  12. ^abVotintsev, Yu.V. (1993)."Unknown Troops of the Vanished Superpower".Voyenno-Istoricheskiy Zhurnal.11:12–27.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-12-24.
  13. ^"DS-P1-Yu (11F618)".Gunter's Space Page. 2012-03-31.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-10-11.Retrieved2012-09-16.
  14. ^Votintsev, Yu.V. (1993)."Unknown Troops of the Vanished Superpower".Voyenno-Istoricheskiy Zhurnal.9:26–38.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-12-24.
  15. ^abKarpenko, A (1999)."ABM AND SPACE DEFENSE".Nevsky Bastion.4:2–47.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-01-28.
  16. ^abPotekhin, Anna (2011-01-16).Зелёных вам фонарей![Green light for you!] (in Russian). Красная звезда [Krasnaya Zvezda].Archivedfrom the original on 2013-08-22.Retrieved2012-04-10.
  17. ^abМодернизация радаров СПРН в Северо-Западном округе начнется в 2015 году[Upgrading early warning radars in the Northwest District will begin in 2015] (in Russian). Lenta.ru. 2011-12-12.Archivedfrom the original on 2012-07-13.Retrieved2012-01-09.
  18. ^Marinin, I (2011).Отечественной СПРН – 40 лет[Patriotic SPRN – 40 years] (in Russian). Novosti Kosmonavtiki. Archived fromthe originalon May 20, 2012.Retrieved20 June2012.
  19. ^Marinin, I (2011).Отечественной СПРН – 40 лет[Patriotic SPRN – 40 years].Novosti Kosmonavtiki(in Russian) (339): 44–46.ISSN1561-1078.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-03-03.Retrieved2012-07-24.
  20. ^Chandra, Ramesh (2004).Minority: Social and Political Conflict.Delhi, India: Isha Books.ISBN978-81-8205-140-9.
  21. ^Hadonina, Dzidra (1998). "Environmental Situation and Remediation Plans of Military Sites in Latvia". In Fonnun, F; Paukstys, B; Reimer, K; et al. (eds.).Environmental Contamination and Remediation Practices at Former and Present Military Bases.Springer. pp. 63–69.ISBN978-0792352471.
  22. ^Wilk, Andrzej (2008-01-29)."Russia starts to dismantle the Soviet early warning system".Centre for Eastern Studies. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-08-13.Retrieved2012-07-09.
  23. ^Kramnik, Ilya (2009-02-26).Арифметика СПРН: минус два "Днепра", плюс один "Воронеж"[Early warning arithmetic: minus two Dnepr, plus one Voronezh] (in Russian). RIA Novosti.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-08-09.Retrieved2012-07-15.
  24. ^Baev, Pavel (2010). "Neither Reform nor Modernisation: the Armed Forces Under and After Putin's Command". In Galeotti, Mark (ed.).The Politics of Modern Security in Russia.Ashgate. pp. 69–88.ISBN978-0-7546-7408-5.
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  27. ^"Source: Ukraine radar to be used to protect German satellites".Kyiv Post.2010-02-09.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-07-11.Retrieved2012-07-11.
  28. ^"ЦАМТО / Новости / Совет Федерации денонсировал соглашение с Казахстаном по узлу" Балхаш "".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-07-26.Retrieved2020-07-26.
  29. ^abPodvig, Pavel (2011-06-21)."Daryal-U radar in Mishelevka demolished".Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-04-20.Retrieved2012-01-30.
  30. ^abcdeHolm, Michael (2011)."46th independent Radio-Technical Unit".Soviet Armed Forces 1945–1991.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-10-07.Retrieved2012-01-30.
  31. ^abcdHolm, Michael (2011)."49th independent Radio-Technical Unit".Soviet Armed Forces 1945–1991.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-10-07.Retrieved2012-04-10.
  32. ^Вручение знамени 16601[Presentation of the Flag 16601](video)(in Russian). Zvezda News. 2010-12-12.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-03-16.Retrieved2012-02-01.
  33. ^"Four advanced radars shielding Russia's southern strategic area".Archivedfrom the original on 2020-07-24.Retrieved2020-07-26.
  34. ^SityShooter (2011)."РЛС" Днестр "–" Днепр-М "(actually is Daugava left)"[Radar Dnestr-Dnepr-M] (in Russian). Archived fromthe original(photograph)on 2015-09-24.Retrieved2012-01-29.
  35. ^abВсевидящий глаз России[Seeing Eye Russia].Novosti Kosmonavtiki(in Russian) (5): 52–53. May 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-12-19.Retrieved2012-07-23.(subscription required)
  36. ^"В Крыму установят новейшую РЛС" Воронеж-СМ "".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-08-16.Retrieved2017-08-16.
  37. ^"Russia Won't Rent Ukrainian Radar".Kommersant.2008-01-16.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-03-04.Retrieved2012-01-30.
  38. ^Podvig, Pavel (2008-08-25)."Russia pulls out of an early-warning arrangement with Ukraine".Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-04-20.Retrieved2012-02-01.
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