The background for the confrontation between the United States and Israel was the state of the Iranian armed forces, which came to the center of attention of many Internet resources and media.
Iran's air defense assets and combat aviation caused a great discussion. The Iranian authorities understand the weakness of their air force, focusing on military action "on the defensive." In addition, much attention is paid to the improvement and development of air defense systems.
The Iranian authorities do not smile at being on the same list with Iraq, Yugoslavia and Libya, so they are anxiously watching their air borders. After the latest local clashes, it turned out that Western coalitions are starting conflicts with the suppression of air defense systems and massive bomb and missile strikes on key points of infrastructure and troops control.
Even international sanctions do not stop Iran from trying to buy modern air defense systems abroad. Also, work is underway to improve the already used tools, as well as to create national samples.
An important component of the Iranian air defense is radio-technical troops (RTV).
There are several components of an aerial reconnaissance and warning system. To receive and issue data on the air attack weapons used for air defense systems, a network of ground-based radars is used, which are reduced to radar posts (RLP). These posts are located on dangerous areas of the state border. Iranian civil airports use 18 radars, which also monitor the air situation, transmitting data to a unified data exchange system.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the layout of the positions of the air defense missile system (triangles) and stationary radars (blue diamonds)
During the Iranian-Iraqi war, the Iranian RTVs were based on American radars: AN / FPS-88, AN / FPS-100, with AN / FPS-89 radio altimeters, AN / TPS-43 mobile three-coordinate radars received simultaneously with the Hawk air defense missile system, as well as several British Green Ginger systems with Type 88 (S-330) radar and Type 89 radio altimeters.
At the moment, these stations are being decommissioned due to physical wear and tear. Replacement stations are purchased abroad, developed and produced by their own.
American AN / TPS-43 on a truck of the M35 family
In the early 90s, along with the deliveries of the Russian S-200VE air defense systems, the Oborona-14 early warning radar was received, which was the development of one of the most widespread long-range radars in the USSR, the P-14.
Six large semi-trailer vans are used to accommodate the radar. The system can be collapsed and deployed in 24 hours, which makes it relatively mobile in modern combat conditions.
The station provides three modes of spatial survey. "Lower Beam" - increased range for enemy detection at medium and low altitudes. "Upper Beam" - increased upper boundary of the detection area by the corner of the terrain. "Scanning" - alternate switching on of the lower and upper beams.
The detection range of a fighter-type air target is at least 300 km at an altitude of 10 thousand meters. The station is served by four people.
The main purpose of "Defense-14" is the detection and tracking of air targets, including those using "stealth" technology. After determining the nationality, the coordinates of the targets are issued to the indicators and devices interfaced with the radar.
Six transport units are used to house the system. The complex includes an antenna-mast device, various equipment, as well as an autonomous power supply system on two semi-trailers. It is also possible to connect to an industrial network. In 1999, a digital TsSDC system was installed on the radar, increasing protection against passive interference, asynchronous interference and also reflections from local objects.
Together with the Oborona-14 radar, a PRV-17 radio altimeter operates, which determines the distance to the target, height, speed and direction of its movement.
The device operates at an altitude of 85 kilometers, and the detection range at a target height of 10 thousand meters is 310 kilometers.
The data on the parameters of the detected target, obtained from the PRV-17, are automatically transmitted to the SAM operators.
Perhaps the most valuable acquisition of Iran's air defense was the Russian ground two-coordinate radar "Sky-SVU", which Iran showed at the exercises and parade in 2010.
Radar 1L119 "Sky-SVU" operates in the meter range. It is a modern and mobile radar station equipped with an active phased array antenna. It has good noise immunity, long operating range.
The main purpose of this type of radar is automatic detection and tracking of various targets in the sky, including subtle ones that use stealth technology. Even at 50% of the radiation power, the system can detect and accompany UAVs with an effective scattering area of 0.1 sq. M. at distances of more than one hundred kilometers.
The detection range of a fighter-type air target is 360 km at an altitude of 20 thousand meters. The time of the station deployment and shutdown is up to thirty minutes.
Iran has recently received modern decimeter Russian radars - low-altitude three-coordinate all-round viewing stations Kasta-2E2. This seriously strengthened the radio-technical troops of the Iranian air defense.
Satellite image of Google Earth: Iranian radar "Sky-SVU"
According to a report on the official website of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern OJSC, the purpose of the station is to control the airspace, as well as determine the azimuth, range, route characteristics and flight altitude of air objects, including those flying at low and extremely low altitudes, in conditions of intense reflections from underlying surfaces, meteorological formations and local objects.
Detection range of air targets with RCS 2 sq. M. station at an altitude of 1000 meters is 95 kilometers. The station folds and unfolds in about twenty minutes.
In addition to Russia, the PRC is engaged in the supply of modern radars. One of the newest stations in the Iranian arsenal is the JY-14 radar, which was developed in the 1990s by specialists from the East China Electronic Engineering Research Institute. Such radars can detect and track many targets within a radius of up to 320 kilometers. This data is transmitted to air defense batteries. Also, the radar has anti-jamming means, which ensure its work in conditions of tough electronic warfare.
The radar uses a flexible mode for switching the operating frequency, containing 31 different frequencies, a wide bandwidth of operating frequency parameters for interference cancellation, and a linear frequency compression algorithm. This station can simultaneously track hundreds of targets, transmitting the coordinates of each to the air defense missile batteries in a fully automatic mode. Iran received this type of radar about ten years ago.
It should be noted that Iran is actively working on the development and creation of its own radars. The first was a copy of the US-made AN / TPS-43 radar. This three-dimensional radar has good mobility, detecting targets at distances of up to 450 kilometers.
Radar "Casta 2E2" in the stowed state at the parade in Tehran
In the Iranian version, a semi-trailer is used to transport the station.
Also, Iran has a large number of mobile radars TM-ASR-1 / Kashef-1 and Kashef-2, which have created organizations of the electronic industry of Iran. Since the mid-90s, TM-ASR-1 two-coordinate radars have been produced. The detection range of these radars is 150 km, and their appearance resembles the Chinese YLC-6 radar. The time for deploying and folding the station is 6-8 minutes with the number of simultaneous targets up to one hundred.
Antenna of the Iranian copy of the AN / TPS-43 radar
Iran has recently shown a version of the radar that has undergone modernization. It was named Kashef-2, a different chassis and a new folding antenna.
Also in service with the Iranian air defense there are mobile early warning radars operating in the meter range, local development. Their name is Matla ul-Fajr and the manufacturer is the Electronics Industry Organization of Iran. Outwardly, they are similar to the old Soviet radar P-12. The first modifications of "Matla al-Fajr" began to be delivered in the early 2000s.
Radar Matla ul-Fajr in the exercise
The main purpose of these radars is to track large sections of airspace, detecting and tracking various targets, including those that are inconspicuous at a distance of up to 330 kilometers.
According to the Iranian air defense command, these new radars have replaced the western models (most likely, the American stationary AN / TPQ-88 / 100 radar), and they cover almost the entire territory of the Persian Gulf.
The Iranian Electronics Industry Organization and the Isfahan University of Technology have developed a new VHF radar that detects targets at distances of up to 400 kilometers. In the media, they were named Matla ul-Fajr 2, but the official name may be different.
Radar station Matla ul-Fajr-2 at the exhibition of achievements of the Iranian military-industrial complex, which was visited by Rahbar Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei in 2011.
In the summer of 2011, the "Exhibition of Scientific and Defense Jihad Achievements of the Armed Forces" was held, at which a new radar with a phased array was presented, presumably called Najm 802. The appearance of this radar is similar to the Russian three-coordinate station of the decimeter range "Gamma-DE"
While there is no information about its entry into service, but most likely this radar is already being tested.
Iran possesses new means of electronic intelligence that can detect targets by the emissions of their radars. Several years ago, an exercise was held with the participation of Russian stations of executive radio intelligence 1L122 Avtobaza.
The main purpose of the reconnaissance complex is a passive search for emitting radars, including impulse airborne side-looking radars, weapons control radars and low-altitude flight support. The station sends to the automated point the angular coordinates of all radars, their class, frequency range number.
This complex carries out a non-contact effect, which significantly reduces the capabilities of strike aircraft to detect and attack ground targets, and also distorts the readings of radio altimeters for aviation, UAVs, cruise missiles, which can cause failure of all electronic equipment.
It is possible that this complex took part in the forced landing of an American reconnaissance unmanned aircraft at the end of 2011.
The maximum reconnaissance range of the complex is 150 kilometers, and the time for folding and deploying is 25 minutes.
At the moment, the Iranian air defense and RTV are going through the stage of reorganization and re-equipment, they are not able to organize a continuous protection zone over the territory of the country, only important centers and regions are covered. But in this area there has been significant progress, significant intellectual and material resources are being invested in the development of means of protection against air attacks. Even now Iran, if it cannot repel the aggression, will inflict serious losses on the attackers.
