In previous works, we returned several times to a comparative review of various types of domestic radar systems of the Radio Engineering Forces of Russia with their American counterparts. As a result, it turned out that the high technical indicators of our stations, together with a much larger range of them, determine a significant gap from the state products, which cannot boast of any unique functions. This contrast is most clearly seen in comparison of the standard surveillance radar of the decimeter range AN / TPS-75 "Tipsy" with the Russian multifunctional radar of the centimeter range 64L6 "Gamma-C1" or the all-altitude radar detector AN / TPS-59 with the domestic interspecies radar 55Zh6M "Sky-M ". If the list of functions of American stations is very limited (air traffic control and target designation for anti-aircraft missile batteries), then our systems (due to their multi-range) can be adapted by hardware and software methods for direct target designation for anti-aircraft missiles while intercepting enemy targets.
The US Air Force cannot boast of such specialized instruments as the 48Ya6-K1 Podlyot-K1 high-energy low-altitude detector (NVO), capable of detecting stealthy cruise missiles at a distance of up to 35 km. Nevertheless, radars for work on aerospace objects are far from a complete list of radar equipment for countering the threat from offensive and defensive weapons of the enemy. Counter-battery artillery reconnaissance radars, designed to open enemy firing positions along the flight paths of artillery shells, unguided and guided missiles and operational-tactical ballistic missiles, occupy their niche in the list of new-generation radar systems today. The principles of operation of these stations set rather high requirements for the computing facilities of radio electronic equipment, as well as for the energy capabilities of antenna posts based on PFAR / AFAR. For example, if in order to confidently determine the departure position of a 120-mm mine or a 122-mm unguided projectile, it is enough to briefly "illuminate" its trajectory using a directional pattern beam in any sector of the ascending segment, then to determine the launch positions of an adjustable XM30 GUMLRS missile or a shot artillery М982 "Excalibur" it is necessary to "fix" the initial segment of their trajectory, because in 5 kilometers or more they can be re-targeted to a higher priority target, after which it will be almost impossible to accurately determine the coordinates of an active artillery battery.
That is why, in the course of designing counter-battery radars for artillery reconnaissance, the main emphasis is on the stability of operation in the so-called "lower beam" mode, when the viewing area in the elevation plane ranges from 0 to 10 degrees. For example: the elevation sector of view of the American counter-battery radars AN / TPQ-36 and AN / TPQ-37 "Firefinder / II" varies from 0 to 7/7, 5º, respectively. This is almost 5 times less than that of the domestic artillery reconnaissance complex 1L219M "Zoo-1". However, opting for a "lower beam" leads to other notable disadvantages. In particular, "Firefinders" modifications AN / TPQ-36/37 do not have the ability to detect mines, as well as rockets and artillery shells, the ascending or descending branches of the trajectory exceed the above-mentioned sector of view. Consequently, these radars cannot accurately calculate the point of impact of shells in a few tens of seconds, which means that there is no ability to timely notify friendly units of an impending artillery strike. It is this shortcoming that the AN / TPQ-36 "Firefinder" radars transferred to the Ukrainian formations can boast. Time does not stand still, and the programs for the development of artillery reconnaissance radars continue to be improved, adopting all the necessary features of aerospace radars.
The most modern domestic concept of such a radar system is the 1L260 Zoo-1M, developed by the Strela Research and Production Association in Tula, which is part of the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern. Back in 2013, there was information about the beginning of the phase of military trials of the updated "Zoo"; in the same year, at the MAKS-2013 aerospace show, a prototype of the complex with the given main tactical and technical characteristics was also exhibited for public viewing. The same prototype was also presented at MAKS-2017, as reported by the information and news system rbase.new-factoria.ru (“Rocket technology”) with reference to the Vestnik Mordovii.
The source indicates that 1L260, presented by AFAR, is capable of detecting: 155-mm shells of the M109A6 "Paladin" self-propelled guns at a distance of 23 km, unguided / guided missiles M26A2 / XM30 - 45 km and operational-tactical ballistic missiles MGM-164B "ATACMS Block IIA "- 65 km. It is also indicated that the elevation scanning area is 0 - 40º. This suggests that the computing terminal of the Zoo-1M can easily determine the positions of enemy artillery units along the trajectories of unguided shells at even greater ranges. To do this, it is enough to track the 5-10 km descending section of the trajectory. In particular, the coordinates of the battery of "Paladins" firing simple or active-rocket projectiles can be calculated at a distance of about 50 - 55 km, the positions of the M270 MLRS MLRS launchers can be calculated at a distance of about 75 km. It is worth noting that a similar technique will be absolutely useless in relation to guided OTBR and corrected missiles, since the initial and middle sections of the trajectory (located outside the energy potential of the Zoo) can vary significantly depending on the flight algorithm loaded by the INS projectile.
As you can see, thanks to the large elevation scanning sector, the 1L260 Zoo-1M counter-battery radar is noticeably ahead of the US AN / TPQ-36 and AN / TPQ-37 in terms of functionality. In addition to the fact that the station is capable of calculating enemy firing positions, places where shells fall, as well as adjusting the fire of friendly counter-battery weapons, its list of tasks now also includes an overview of the airspace for threatening elements of high-precision weapons. According to the developers and specialists, the Zoo-1M is capable of issuing target designation to the operator terminals of short-range anti-aircraft missile systems (it is obvious that we are talking about Pantsir-C1, Tor-M1 / 2) in the network-centric system of a modern military anti-aircraft defense. It is quite logical that such a linking will require the use of an intermediate link - a unified battery command post of the 9S737 "Rangir" type with some hardware "bells and whistles", but this is not yet mentioned. Considering that the Zoo-1M station is capable of "tying the tracks" of such small objects as 82-mm mines, the estimated minimum RCS can be at the level of 0, 008 - 0, 01 m2: small-sized UAVs and tactical missiles can be detected in the structure of which there are radio-absorbing and composite materials.
The throughput of the 1L260 counter-battery radar reaches approximately 12 targets simultaneously tracked on the passage, while up to 70 - 75 artillery and rockets can be “fired” in a minute. Determining the trajectory, as well as the coordinates of the launch and fall of the shells, takes about 15 - 17 s. The element base (including computing) of the counter-battery radar 1L260 "Zoo-1M" is very similar to the "stuffing" of the previous modification 1L219M "Zoo-1". It was built around a modern on-board computer of the Baguette family. The main difference is the use of a completely new active phased antenna array 1L261, the total power of the transmit-receive modules of which reaches 70 kW (the L219M Zoo-1 uses a 3-coordinate monopulse passive phased array 1L259 with an external horn feed with a power of only 30 kW). Due to this, a 70 - 80% increase in effective range is observed. Moreover, in comparison with the first "Zoo", the new version has ten times greater survivability and service life: the failure of several dozen PPMs will only slightly affect the performance of the main list of tasks.
The only parameter by which the American AN / TPQ-37 counter-battery radar is slightly ahead of the 1L260 Zoo-1M is the effective detection range. The American product is capable of detecting 152-mm artillery shells at a distance of 30 km, while unguided rockets are detected 50 km away, which is 1.3 times more than that of the updated Zoo. Nevertheless, this is just a drop in the sea against the background of the error in determining the coordinates of the cannon artillery in the AN / TPQ-36/37, which ranges from 60 to 80 m. In the Almazovsky counterbattery, this parameter does not exceed 40 m!
Meanwhile, it is not worth deceiving in connection with the superiority of Zoo-1M over the aforementioned counter-battery radars of artillery reconnaissance, since the American companies Raytheon and Northrop Grumman have two spare projects of counter-battery / multifunctional radars, the capabilities of which are not only equal, but also partially outstrips all known modifications of the "Zoo". The first project is presented by the high-potential radar AN / TPQ-47 (or AN / TPQ-37 P3I Block II). The use of the decimeter S-band does not provide the radar with an increase in the resolution and accuracy of determining the trajectory of projectiles, but it makes it possible to realize a 1.5 - 2 times greater range. In particular, AN / TPQ-47 is capable of detecting: 82-mm mines at a distance of 20 km, 120-mm mines at a distance of 30 km, 152-mm artillery shells at a distance of 60 km, unguided and guided missiles - 80-100 km. These indicators are among the best in the world. Operational-tactical ballistic missiles on the ascending branch of the trajectory AN / TPQ-47 can "see" at a distance of 300 km! This radar is also designed to detect various types of airborne objects, including aircraft using stealth technology, which makes it possible to integrate into air / missile defense systems.
According to the American information resource globalsecurity.org, the combat control center of the AN / TPQ-47 artillery reconnaissance counter-battery radar is equipped with a terminal for the network-centric fire distribution system for field artillery AFATDS (Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System). The coordinates of the enemy's firing positions calculated by AN / TPQ-47 are immediately transmitted to the AFATDS terminal, which, based on the information on the location of friendly artillery batteries (including the types of self-propelled guns and MLRS used), selects the weapons that can most effectively suppress the enemy's artillery. From everything we conclude that despite the network-centric characteristics similar to the Zoo-1M, the AN / TPQ-47 has 3 times better range performance. This makes it possible to show all their counter-battery potential of 155-mm self-propelled guns using the Excalibur corrected projectile (the so-called "intelligent shot" M982), high-precision MLRS / HIMARS MLRS modifications, using guided missiles of the XM30 GUMLRS type with a range of more than 80 km, and also ATACMS complexes with a range of up to 300 km.
Domestic artillery radar L-260 "Zoo-1M" makes it possible to show the potential of only ACS "Msta-S", "Coalition-SV" with a firing range of 40 - 70 km, as well as multiple launch rocket systems 9K58 "Smerch", using jet shells with a range of up to 70 km (9M55K1 with homing warheads 9N142 "Motiv-3M" or high-explosive fragmentation 9M55F). Unfortunately, Zoo-1M does not have the energy and long-range capabilities for the independent issuance of target designation to the Tochka-U or Iskander-M operational-tactical complexes at a distance of 150 - 300 km. At the same time, the American "Nortrop Grumman" has almost completely finished a production line for the serial production of even more multifunctional radars with counter-battery and anti-aircraft capabilities such as AN / TPS-80 G / ATOR ("Ground / Air Task Oriented Radar"). Their latest modifications will receive more energy-efficient and wear-resistant transmit-receive modules based on gallium nitride, which will increase the operating range by about 1, 3 times. The multifunctional AN / TPS-80 operating at frequencies of 2-4 GHz can track both artillery shells (with the determination of the coordinates of enemy firing positions and the places where the shells fall), and accompany air targets at ranges of up to 250 - 300 km.
In terms of the efficiency of aerial surveillance and target designation, this radar corresponds to such products as the Protivnik-G radar detector or the VVO 96L6 all-altitude detector, while the counter-battery capabilities are ahead of our Zoo-1M. We can only hope that our defense industry will soon have a worthy answer in the form of a multifunctional dual-use radar complex with an increased service life thanks to the introduction of AFAR technology with an LTCC substrate. After all, only this technology is capable of putting an end to the "interspecies radar race" between Russia and the United States.
