In early January 2019, bravura publications appeared in the Russian media about how highly the Chinese military praised our S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and Su-35 fighters. This information cheered up a significant part of Russian citizens, who were bored during the long New Year holidays, and caused a surge of "patriotic" comments. Again, talk began about equipment and weapons that "have no world analogues", and fears that our Chinese partners, having gained access to the latest Russian developments, will once again try to copy them, were categorically rejected by arguments such as: "A copy is always worse than the original" or "An attempt to get acquainted with the principles of the functioning of our electronic systems will lead to their self-destruction." Moreover, some especially knowledgeable commentators argued that when the sealed blocks were opened, the signal about this would reach "where it should be," and the response command, broadcast from a secret Russian satellite, would destroy all the equipment. However, it is unclear how the radio frequency signals would be transmitted if the equipment was placed in a fully shielded building, or in an underground tunnel. Obviously, the Russian developers envisaged such a scenario and to prevent unauthorized access, having made a scientific breakthrough, they used equipment built on other physical principles, so far unknown to foreign scientists. Which, of course, is especially gratifying given the fact that in our latest defense technology, including those supplied for export, there is a very large share of imported electronic components produced, including in the country where the S-400 and Su-35 were exported.
But even if suddenly our Chinese partners, as has already happened more than once, will be able to understand the secret Russian technologies and create their own analogs, this, of course, cannot harm our defenses in any way. After all, it is difficult to imagine that between states, whose leaders jointly hosted a military parade on Red Square, a military clash is possible in the foreseeable future. Assumptions that the growing Chinese military power may pose a threat to Russia sound especially ridiculous against the background of the fact that our country satisfies all the needs of the PRC, supplies energy and raw materials at prices below world prices within the framework of the "special relationship", and provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the most modern high-tech weapons. Every Russian patriot understands that the People's Liberation Army of China, which now, according to foreign reference publications: more than 2 million active bayonets, more than 6,700 tanks (of which about 5,000 are modern types), about 9,000 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, about 11,000 MLRS, self-propelled guns and towed guns with a caliber of more than 100 mm - due to the strategic partnership, which is regularly reminded of in the official Russian media, does not pose any potential threat to Russia. At the same time, more than 200 mobile medium-range ballistic missiles and ground-based cruise missiles with a launch range of up to 3000 km, as well as about 130 long-range bombers with a range of up to 3000 km without refueling and more than 1000 tactical aircraft, most of which are heavy fighters of the 4th generation.,created on the basis of our Su-27SK and Su-30MK - designed exclusively to contain the overseas hegemon.
However, the PLA Air Force is not only a sword, but also a shield. As in the Russian Federation, the Air Force includes air defense interceptors, anti-aircraft missile and radio-technical troops. The example of fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft missile and radio-technical troops shows how fast the process of rearming the Chinese army is going. In the early 90s, the Chinese air defense system roughly corresponded to the Soviet air defense of the late 60s. It was based on the J-6 and J-7 fighters (Chinese copies of the MiG-19 and MiG-21F-13), as well as the J-8 interceptors designed in the PRC and equipped with radars. Around the most important industrial, military and administrative-political facilities were placed numerous batteries of anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft missile systems HQ-2, created on the basis of the Soviet S-75 air defense system (more details here). Airspace control was mainly carried out using ground-based radars of the meter range of the YLC-8 family. The source of inspiration for the Chinese developers who created this station was the Soviet P-12 radar, the first version of which appeared in 1956.
The eyes of the air defense forces are radio engineering units equipped with radar stations. At the moment, the airspace over the territory of the PRC, the waters adjacent to the Chinese coast and border areas of neighboring states, is controlled by about 200 permanent radar posts (about 120 stationary), on which about 450 radars are deployed.
In our country, for some reason, it is not customary to talk about the achievements of Chinese specialists in the field of radar, and many visitors to the "Military Review" formed the opinion that the PRC is not capable of independently creating radar stations that meet modern requirements, and the most advanced radars in the Chinese armed forces are the stations supplied from Russia. Which, of course, is not true, about 80% of radars deployed in China are new types of radars designed and built in the PRC. In the past 15 years, the PLA Air Force's radio engineering units have adopted a number of radars with high energy potential and good noise immunity. A breakthrough in the field of radar in the PRC came after the Chinese government in the early 90s invested significant financial resources in a number of research programs. The rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the developed radio-electronic industry made it possible to establish a mass production of radars that are not inferior to the best foreign analogues.
At the same time, up to 60 YLC-8A / 8B radars are still in operation in Chinese radio engineering units, which in their capabilities are close to the Soviet P-18 radars. Stations of the YLC-8 / 8A type were also used as part of the anti-aircraft missile divisions of the HQ-2 air defense system.
Further improvement of the YLC-8 radar is largely due to the fact that old VHF radars with rather bulky antennas, which do not shine with high accuracy in determining the coordinates of air targets and do not have high noise immunity, with all their shortcomings, quite confidently detect aircraft built using the technology low radar signature. However, the stations, whose prototypes were created in the late 60s, underwent a major modernization. It is reported that the detection range of the upgraded YLC-8B radar exceeds 250 km, and digital signal processing is implemented in it, and information is displayed on modern monitors.
Until the termination of military-technical cooperation in the early 60s, the Soviet Union did not supply the P-14 meter range radar to China, which until the early 90s, along with the centimeter P-35/37, were the basis of a continuous radar field over the territory of the USSR …In connection with the need to have a long-range radar that could carry long-term combat duty, in the early 80s, the production of YLC-4 stations began in the PRC.
A two-coordinate radar operating at a frequency of 216 - 220 MHz could detect large high-altitude air targets at a distance of up to 410 km. The detection range of a MiG-21 fighter flying at an altitude of 10,000 m was 350 km. The radar consisted of an antenna post and control rooms located in three vans. Two mobile diesel generators with a capacity of 120 kW each were intended for power supply. Although stations of the YLC-4 type are still present in the PLA's radio engineering units, they are gradually being replaced by new types of radars.
A functional Chinese analogue of the Soviet radar P-37 can be considered a station of the JY-14 type, the development of which began in the second half of the 70s. The JY-14 radar went into production in the early 90s, and compared to the P-37, it has better noise immunity and is three-dimensional.
The JY-14 radar operates in the 1, 5 - 2, 1 GHz frequency band and is capable of detecting targets at a range of up to 320 km and an altitude of up to 25 km. A fighter flying at an altitude of 500 m can be escorted at a distance of 200 km. At the same time, the error in determining coordinates in azimuth is 0.2º, in range - 90 m. Stations of the JY-14 type at the beginning of the 21st century were considered one of the best in terms of cost-efficiency and were widely exported in the past. Their buyers were: Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and a number of Asian and African countries. In the PLA Air Force, JY-14 radars are mainly used to direct aviation flights and issue target designations to fighters.
Currently, in the PRC, for a permanently operating radar post, a combination of three different stations is considered optimal: the meter and decimeter frequency bands, as well as a passive radar that determines the coordinates of air targets by the radiation of onboard radio systems. The upgraded YLC-8B two-coordinate standby radar provides detection of air targets flying at an altitude of 30 km at a distance of up to 250 km. According to information provided at the Le Bourget Aerospace Show in 2017, the SLC-7 phased array radar, operating in the 1.5 to 2 GHz range, is capable of detecting targets with an RCS of 0.5 m at a range of up to 400 km.
The YLC-18 three-coordinate highly mobile radar with AFAR emits at frequencies from 3 to 4 GHz and is capable of seeing air targets at a distance of up to 250 km. This station was specially created to detect aircraft and cruise missiles flying at an altitude of less than 100 m. The maximum detection altitude is 12 km.
An F-16 fighter with a flight altitude of 600 m is detected with a 90% probability at a range of 200 km. In order to reduce the influence of local objects, the YLC-18 radar antenna is mounted on a lifting mast.
Mobile stations of the YLC-18 type in the PLA radio engineering units are gradually replacing the YLC-6 / 6M low-altitude radars operating in the same frequency range.
The low-altitude two-coordinate mobile radar YLC-6M is capable of seeing targets at a distance of up to 150 km, the detection distance of the AN-64 Apache helicopter flying at an altitude of 10-15 m is 30-35 km. The maximum detection altitude is 10 km. According to American intelligence, the greatest concentration of stations of this type in the past was on the mainland of the Taiwan Strait. Approximately 10 YLC-6M stations have been exported to Pakistan. As the YLC-18 radar enters service, the YLC-6 / 6M type radars, after modernization, are installed permanently and are used for air traffic control. This variant is known as the YLC-6ATC.
Another mass-produced Chinese radar designed to detect low-altitude targets is the JY-11. This station operates in the frequency range 2, 7 - 3, 4 GHz and can detect targets at a distance of up to 260 km. The maximum height is 12 km.
At a distance of 100 km, the upgraded JY-11B radar determines the coordinates of a target flying at an altitude of 200 m with an accuracy of 50 m in range and 0.3 ° in azimuth. The antenna with the HEADLIGHT of the mobile radar JY-11B, mounted on the chassis of a cross-country truck, rises above the terrain with a hydraulic boom. The station, consisting of an antenna post and a control cabin, can be airlifted by military transport aircraft of the C-130 class.
According to Western experts, the development of the JY-11B is the Type 120 (JY-29 LSS-1) radar, presented in 2004. This station, with a comparable range, has the best accuracy in determining the coordinates of air targets. As a low-altitude detector, the Type 120 radar is part of the HQ-9 / 9A long-range anti-aircraft missile system.
The DWL-002 mobile passive air target detection system is designed to record the operation of onboard aviation radio systems at a distance of up to 500 km. To accurately determine the range, speed and altitude of the target at a distance of up to 50 km from each other, three radio reconnaissance stations and a control cabin are deployed.
Data exchange between them occurs via radio relay communication channels. According to information published in the Chinese media, the DWL-002 system is capable of recording aircraft in their complete radio silence at a distance of up to 220 km. In this case, Doppler disturbances of the electromagnetic radiation of cellular operators, high-frequency navigation radio beacons, television and radio transmitters are recorded. According to Chinese data, the DWL-002 passive electronic intelligence equipment is significantly superior to stations of a similar purpose of the Czech, Ukrainian and Russian production.
According to the views of the Chinese military, the combination of VHF and UHF radars with passive radio reconnaissance stations makes it possible to timely detect all types of air targets in the entire altitude range, regardless of the jamming situation, and to issue target designations to anti-aircraft missile systems and fighter-interceptors.
In the PRC, as in Russia, the design and construction of new standby radars operating in the meter frequency range continues. Although, due to the large dimensions of the antennas, such stations have low mobility and high visibility on the ground, their use in peacetime is quite justified. Approximately 20 years ago, in the radio engineering units of the PLA Air Force, trial operation of the JY-27 radar began. In 2012, a snapshot of the JY-27 radar antenna post deployed on the coast, 5 km northeast of Weihai, appeared on the network.
Judging by the available satellite images, a radar post of the 11th radar brigade of the Jinan Military District Air Force in this area was created in the mid-90s. In 2016, stations of this type were spotted in Syria.
According to Western sources, the JY-27 radar is a functional analogue of the Russian station 55Ж6 "Sky". The Chinese radar operates in the frequency range 240 - 390 MHz, and is capable of detecting medium-altitude targets at ranges of up to 360 km. The accuracy of determining coordinates at a distance of 280 km is: 0.5 ° in azimuth and 500 m in range.
A further development option for the JY-27 is the JY-27A three-coordinate radar, which in the West is usually compared with the Russian 1L119 Sky-SVU radar station. In addition to solving routine tasks, the new Chinese VHF station is capable of effectively detecting "stealthy" B-2A and F-22A aircraft, as well as tracking high-speed targets flying at high altitudes, including tactical ballistic missiles. This makes it possible to use the JY-27 radar as part of non-strategic anti-missile systems. According to advertising data, the detection range of high-altitude aerodynamic targets reaches 500 km.
Approximately 15 years ago, the PLA adopted the JYL-1 three-coordinate radar with AFAR, operating in the frequency range of 1.8-3 GHz. Detection range - up to 450 km. The maximum altitude at which an air target can be detected is 30 km. The self-propelled version of the station is located on the chassis of three off-road trucks. The JYL-1 type radar has high noise immunity and is capable of tracking more than 70 air targets in automatic mode. In 2014, information appeared that an improved modification, the JYL-1A, was created in the PRC, but the characteristics of this model are not known.
In 2004, the Chinese media announced the creation of the YLC-2 radar complex, the antenna design of which is outwardly very similar to the latest Western S-band radars, such as the latest Thales Ground Master series of stations, or the Israeli IAI / Elta EL / M-2080. According to Western sources, the radar with AFAR in its capabilities is close to the French Thales ТRS-2230 and the Russian 59H6-E "Protivnik-GE". The detection range of high-altitude targets for the latest modifications of the YLC-2A and YLC-2V, according to unconfirmed reports, can exceed 450 km.
Radar elements of the YLC-2 family can be installed on towed platforms and three-axle trucks with all-wheel drive. The YLC-2 / 2A / 2V radar can be used both independently for monitoring the air situation and regulating air traffic, and as part of long-range anti-aircraft missile systems. The radar complex includes equipment that allows digital transmission of processed information to higher control points. On the basis of the YLC-2 radar, several specialized radars for various purposes have been created. These are mobile and stationary stations, differing in antenna dimensions and power, designed to monitor the air situation in standby mode and issue target designations to anti-aircraft missile forces and fighter aircraft. In addition, according to information published by American sources, there is a specialized version used to detect ballistic tactical missiles.
It is quite natural that, having received such radars at their disposal, the PLA Air Force command places them in the most threatened directions. In October 2018, it became known that one newest station with AFAR was deployed on Pingtang Island in Fujian province. The radar, installed on the top of the mountain, allows you to view the airspace over the waters adjacent to the territory of the PRC and over the entire island of Taiwan.
A novelty, presented in 2016 at the international aerospace exhibition Airshow China 2016, was the JY-26 multifunctional radar with AFAR. According to advertising materials, its "highlight" is the ability to work in the decimeter and centimeter frequency ranges. This, in combination with a high energy potential, makes it possible to detect and track targets flying at different altitudes and having a minimum RCS.
According to Chinese representatives, the JY-26 radar has no serial analogues in terms of noise immunity and the number of simultaneously accompanied aerodynamic and ballistic objects. The maximum declared detection range reaches 500 km. It is envisaged that the JY-26 radar should work in conjunction with the JY-27A meter radars. This, in turn, will allow guaranteed detection of aircraft with elements of stealth technology, and with high accuracy determine their parameters and issue target designation to weapons.
Also, the air defense forces of the PRC are on alert by Russian and Ukrainian-made radars: 36D6, 64N6E, 96L6E, 76N6E - delivered together with the S-300PMU / PMU1 / PMU2 anti-aircraft missile systems.
It is known that in China at the moment there are at least three stationary bistatic over-the-horizon radars capable of detecting air and surface targets at ranges inaccessible to ground stations in the microwave range. One ZGRLS is deployed in Xinjiang province and is focused on Western Siberia, others are located on the coast of the South China and East China Seas.
In the West, Chinese ZGRLS operating in the 7 MHz frequency range are designated OTH-T, OTH-R, OTH-B and OTH-SW. The exact characteristics of Chinese over-the-horizon radars are not known, but it is believed that they are capable of detecting large sea and air objects at a distance of up to 3000 km. In the area of coverage of stations located on the coast are: Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
At the beginning of the 21st century, a stationary radar station, designated by American experts as LPAR, began to operate in the Bayan-Gol-Mongol Autonomous Region in the northwest of China. It is believed that this station is designed to record ballistic missile launches from India.
This fixed flat antenna radar works in conjunction with other Chinese missile warning systems. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, stationary radars, known in the West as REL-1, were put into operation in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and in the Jirin province in the northeast of China. According to American and European experts, powerful radars controlling the north and northwest direction, in addition to warning about a missile attack, can serve to detect high-altitude air targets at a great distance, and to control outer space. In total, 4 early warning systems have been deployed in China.
Thus, it can be stated that at the moment over the entire territory of the PRC there is a continuous radar field (which we cannot boast of now). In eastern China, the radar field has multiple overlap, and every kilometer of airspace can be simultaneously viewed by 3-4 radar stations of various types.
Taking into account all of the above, we can confidently assert that the developers and the radio-electronic industry of the PRC are quite capable of providing air defense troops with all types of radar stations. Chinese radars of the latest generation correspond to the best world analogues in their characteristics and reliability. Over the past 10 years, more than 80 ground-based radars have been delivered to foreign buyers, designed to monitor the airspace in standby mode and issue target designations to air targets. Extreme shipments of Chinese radar equipment were carried out in Bangladesh, Venezuela, Myanmar, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
In 2001, the leadership of the PRC decided to use only Chinese-made radio electronic components and software in the newly created advanced equipment and weapons of the air defense forces. This task has now been fully completed. In Russia, the opposite trend is observed, despite the statements about "import substitution", the share of foreign components in our military products is still very high.
Specialized Chinese developers of electronic computing equipment and software, together with the research departments of the PLA, have developed and introduced into serial production combat control systems.
New high-speed CIUS, based on high-speed data transmission channels, make it possible to combine regimental, divisional, corps and army command posts into one network. And also, after processing, visualize on general information display devices information coming from individual radar posts. Thus, based on the analysis of the general air situation, it is possible to more rationally control the actions of individual anti-aircraft missile divisions and fighter-interceptors, exclude the shelling of one target with several weapons and the passage of non-fired targets.
