On December 2, the newest over-the-horizon detection radar 29B6 "Container" took over on experimental combat duty. This station is designed to detect and determine the coordinates of various air targets at a distance of more than 3000 kilometers. According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, over the next few years more than a dozen container radars will be built in different regions of the country, which will allow observing the airspace around Russia in a wide range of ranges and altitudes.
Receiving part of the radar station ZGO 29B6 "Container", Kovylkino, Mordovia, November-December 2013
The head station "Container", built near the town of Kovylkino (Mordovia), will be on experimental combat duty in the coming months. This is due to the fact that the latest electronics must be tested and, if the need arises, finalized. Only after some time has elapsed, the station will begin combat duty in the normal mode. There is no exact information on the timing of placing the 29B6 "Container" radar on combat duty.
A week after the start of the experimental combat duty of the new station, on December 9, Russian Defense Minister S. Shoigu demanded that the work to improve it be taken with full responsibility. He instructed the responsible persons to complete the equipping of the new "Container" station with all the necessary equipment in strict accordance with the existing schedules. According to the minister, a new type of radar can significantly expand the horizons of control and observation in the western direction. This is the main reason for meeting deadlines.
Construction and improvement of over-the-horizon detection radars 29B6 "Container" is an important project that can have a great impact on the country's defense capability. The construction priority is due to the high performance of the new stations. First of all, it is the detection range and altitude. According to available data, the "Container" radar can find targets at a distance of more than 3000 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 100 kilometers. At the same time, the station is capable of determining the coordinates of the detected object with high accuracy. In addition, the constructed radar has a 180 ° wide field of view, which accordingly affects the size of the area that it can control.
Construction of new over-the-horizon detection radars will be relatively simple and fast. All units of the "Container" station are made in the form of quickly installed modules and, according to some sources, do not require the construction of any complex structures. Thus, for the installation of a new station, it will be necessary to clear and prepare the site, as well as place all the necessary blocks, connect them to each other and make settings. All these procedures will be less labor-intensive in comparison with the construction of similar-purpose radars of older models.
Antenna system of the transmitting part of the radar ZGO 29B6 "Container"
The complex built in Mordovia consists of a large number of towers with antennas placed on them, as well as several modules with signal processing equipment. It should be noted that only a reception complex is located near the city of Kovylkino. The 29B6 radar transmitter is located more than 300 kilometers from it, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, not far from the town of Gorodets.
According to some reports, the "Container" station uses short radio waves, which are most effective in over-the-horizon radar. A signal with a frequency of 3-30 MHz allows achieving high accuracy in determining the coordinates of the detected object, as well as reducing losses in reflection from the ionosphere. The operation of the over-the-horizon detection radar involves the use of a radio signal reflected from the ionosphere. The emitter of the station directs the signal upward, at an angle to the horizon. Reflecting from the upper atmosphere, the signal returns to the ground and hits any objects, including enemy aircraft or missiles. The reflected signal from the object returns to the ionosphere, and then enters the receiving antennas of the radar.
The main task in the development of such systems is the creation of algorithms for processing the received signal, allowing to select the necessary part of it, since an extremely weak signal returns to the receiving antennas, which, moreover, can be distorted by various disturbances in the ionosphere or by the operation of electronic warfare equipment. It is worth noting that this is why the Duga-type radars, built several decades ago, could not determine the location of the detected object with high accuracy.
Diagram of the receiving antenna system of the ZGO 29B6 "Container" radar
The development of old projects and the use of new technologies made it possible to improve the algorithms for processing the received signal. This resulted in a significant increase in the accuracy of determining the coordinates of the detected object. The exact information about such characteristics of the 29B6 "Container" radar has not yet been announced - only the superiority over previous systems of a similar purpose is mentioned.
The head radar "Container", which took over on experimental combat duty in early December, will monitor the western regions of the country and neighboring countries. Preparations for the construction of the first serial station "Container" have recently begun in the Far East. In the future, it is planned to build several more radars of a new model, which will increase the "field of view" of the aerospace defense forces and thereby increase their potential.
