Voronezh radars (russian: РЛС Воронеж) are the current generation of Russian
early-warning radar
An early-warning radar is any radar system used primarily for the long-range detection of its targets, i.e., allowing defences to be alerted as ''early'' as possible before the intruder reaches its target, giving the air defences the maximum t ...
, providing long distance monitoring of airspace against
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
attack and aircraft monitoring. The first radar, in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg, became operational in 2009. There is a plan to replace older radars with the Voronezh by 2020.
Their common name follows the pattern of Soviet radars in being named after a river, the
Voronezh
Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
. The previous generation of radar was known as the
Daryal (after
Darial Gorge
The Darial Gorge ( ka, დარიალის ხეობა, ''Darialis Kheoba''; russian: Дарьяльское ущелье; os, Арвыком, ''Arvykom''; inh, Даьра Аьле, ''Dära Äle''; Chechen: Теркан чӀаж, ''Te ...
),
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
(after
Volga River
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the List of rivers of Europe#Rivers of Europe by length, longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Cas ...
) and
Daugava
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Se ...
(
Daugava River
, be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna
, image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png
, image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava
, source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia
, mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Se ...
) and the generation before the
Dnepr Dnepr may refer to:
*Dnieper, a river flowing through Russia, Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea
* Dnepr (motorcycle), a Ukraininan motocycle brand
* Dnepr (rocket), a 1999 space launch vehicle
*Dnepr radar Dnepr may refer to:
*Dnieper, a river ...
(
Dnieper River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
), and
Dnestr
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
(
Dniester River
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
).
The Voronezh radars are described as highly prefabricated meaning that they have a set up time of months rather than years and need fewer personnel than previous generations. They are also modular so that a radar can be brought into (partial) operation whilst being incomplete.
Russia has used the launch of these new radars to raise its concerns about
US missile defence in Europe. At the launch of the Kaliningrad radar in November 2011 Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev ( rus, links=no, Дмитрий Анатольевич Медведев, p=ˈdmʲitrʲɪj ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mʲɪdˈvʲedʲɪf; born 14 September 1965) is a Russian politician who has been serving as the dep ...
was quoted as saying "I expect that this step''
he launch of the radar''will be seen by our partners as the first signal of our country's readiness to make an adequate response to the threats which the missile shield poses for our strategic nuclear forces."
Types
All types are phased array radars.
*Voronezh-M (77Ya6-M) works in the meter range of wavelengths (
VHF) and was designed by
RTI Mints.
*Voronezh-DM (77Ya6-DM) works in the decimeter range (
UHF) and was designed by
NPK NIIDAR. It has a range of up to 10,000 km and is capable of simultaneously tracking 500 objects. In 2015, its maximum range is 10,000 km. Its horizon range is 6000 km and vertical range is 8000 km (Due to radar horizon, this range is only applicable if target is located at altitude of several thousand kilometers). At a distance of 8000 km, the radar can detect targets the size of a "football ball".
*Voronezh-VP (77Ya6-VP) works in the meter range (
VHF) and was designed by
RTI Mints. The only one built has 6 segments instead of the 3 of the Voronezh-M.
A Voronezh-M is claimed to cost 2.85 billion
rubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
and a Voronezh-DM 4.3 billion rubles.
This compares to the 5 billion ruble cost of a Dnepr and 19.8 billion rubles for a Daryal,
at current prices. Voronezh systems are manufactured at the Saransk Television Plant.
Their designers, Sergey Boev (RTI), Sergey Saprykin (NIIDAR), and Valeriy Karasev (RTI Mints), were jointly awarded the 2011 State Prize for Science and Technology for their work on the Voronezh.
Installations
![Dmitry Medvedev in Kaliningrad Oblast, November 2011-6](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Dmitry_Medvedev_in_Kaliningrad_Oblast%2C_November_2011-6.jpeg)
The first radar, a Voronezh-M, was built in Lekhtusi near
St Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. It entered testing in 2005 and was declared "combat ready" in 2012.
It is adjacent to the
A.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy
A.F. Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academy (russian: Федеральное государственное казённое военное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального обр ...
, which is an officer training centre for the
Aerospace Defence Forces
The Russian Aerospace Defence Forces (VVKO) ( rus, Войска воздушно-космической обороны (ВВКО), Voyska vozdushno-kosmicheskoy oborony (VVKO)) was a branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation responsi ...
.
It is described as filling the early warning gap caused by the closure of the radar station at
Skrunda
Skrunda (; german: Schrunden) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia. It lies 150 km (95 mi) west of the capital city Riga in Kuldīga Municipality.
History
The historical sources first mentioned Skrunda (german: Schrunden) in th ...
in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
in 1998,
although the
Volga radar in
Hantsavichy,
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
, has also been described as doing this, and as a
UHF radar Volga has a different resolution from the
VHF Voronezh-M.
The second radar is at
Armavir in southern Russia on the site of Baronovsky Airfield. It is a Voronezh-DM, a UHF radar and was announced as replacing the coverage lost when the
Dnestr radar
Dnestr radar (russian: Днестр) and Dnepr radar (russian: Днепр), both known by the NATO reporting name Hen House are the first generation of Soviet space surveillance and early warning radars. Six radars of this type were built around ...
s in
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
and
Mukachevo
Mukachevo ( uk, Мукачево, ; hu, Munkács; see name section) is a city in the valley of the Latorica river in Zakarpattia Oblast (province), in Western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion (district), the city ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, were closed in 2009. There are actually two radars at this site, the first one covers the south west and could replace the Ukrainian radars.
The second one facing south east and could replace the
Daryal radar
The Daryal-type radar () (NATO: Pechora) is a Soviet bistatic early-warning radar. It consists of two separate large active phased-array antennas separated by around to . The transmitter array is and the receiver is in size. The system is a ...
in
Gabala that closed at the end of 2012.
The third radar is to the south of
Pionersky in
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
, on the site of
Dunayevka airfield. It is another UHF Voronezh-DM and is surrounded by countries that are now in
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
. There is only one radar here and it is fully operational in 2014.
A radar was built at
Mishelevka in
Irkutsk
Irkutsk ( ; rus, Иркутск, p=ɪrˈkutsk; Buryat language, Buryat and mn, Эрхүү, ''Erhüü'', ) is the largest city and administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. With a population of 617,473 as of the 2010 Census, Irkutsk is ...
on the site of the former, and never operational,
Daryal radar
The Daryal-type radar () (NATO: Pechora) is a Soviet bistatic early-warning radar. It consists of two separate large active phased-array antennas separated by around to . The transmitter array is and the receiver is in size. The system is a ...
which was demolished in 2011.
The radar is a Voronezh-VP and is sited close to the former Daryal transmitter building.
This radar covers the south and can replace one of the two Dnepr radars at that site. Another Voronezh-VP array was planned which gives 240 degrees coverage
and this is ready by 2014.
It is planned to build a Voronezh-VP radar at
Pechora
Pechora (russian: Печо́ра; kv, Печӧра, ''Pećöra'') is a town in the Komi Republic, Russia, located on the Pechora River, west of and near the northern Ural Mountains. The area of the town is . Population:
History
Pechora wa ...
in 2015 to replace the Daryal there. Similarly a Voronezh-VP is planned for
Olenegorsk in 2017 to replace the Dnepr/Daugava.
As part of the public negotiations over the future of
Gabala Radar Station
Gabala Radar Station (; ) in some sources Gabala is spelled ''Qabala'', other names are Lyaki, Mingacevir and Mingechaur was a Daryal-type (NATO Pechora) bistatic Passive electronically scanned array early warning radar, built by the Soviet Un ...
it had been suggested that the Daryal there could be replaced by a Voronezh-VP in 2017, although the station closed at the end of 2012 instead.
Work started on the station at
Barnaul
Barnaul ( rus, Барнау́л, p=bərnɐˈul) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob Rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As ...
in 2013, other locations announced are
Omsk
Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
,
Yeniseysk
Yeniseysk ( rus, Енисейск, p=jɪnʲɪˈsʲejsk) is a town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. Population: 20,000 (1970).
History
Yeniseysk was founded in 1619 as a stockaded town—the first town on the Yenisei ...
and
Orenburg
Orenburg (russian: Оренбу́рг, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Ural River, southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is also very close to the Kazakhstan-Russia bor ...
.
On 20 December 2017, three new Voronezh radar stations entered service in Russia, thus increasing the total number of operational radars to 8 (Armavir Radar Station operates 2 radars). The radars are located in
Krasnoyarsk Krai
Krasnoyarsk Krai ( rus, Красноя́рский край, r=Krasnoyarskiy kray, p=krəsnɐˈjarskʲɪj ˈkraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), with its administrative center in the city of Krasnoyarsk, the third-largest city in Siber ...
,
Altai Krai
Altai Krai (russian: Алта́йский край, r=Altaysky kray, p=ɐlˈtajskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Region and Pavlodar ...
and
Orenburg Oblast
Orenburg Oblast (russian: Оренбургская область, ''Orenburgskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name ''Chkalov Oblast'' () ...
.
According to Russia's
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, in 2022 construction of new radar stations near Vorkuta and Murmansk (Olenegorsk) will be completed.
Locations
References
External links
Voronezh-DM Armavir photos from Novosti Kosmonavtiki*
*
{{Soviet Radar
Russian Space Forces
Russian and Soviet military radars
Radar networks
NIIDAR products
Early warning systems
Military equipment introduced in the 2000s