Medium Range Air Defence
Selex ES is scoring new successes with its RAT31 models (here a RAT31DL), Austria being its latest customer nation. (Selex ES)
range air defence systems free of charge with a view to creating a buffer zone towards central Asia. Other nations are looking at the S-300 with interest, Syria to begin with to protect itself against a possible American attack with S-300PMU2s. In Iran the dispute over the undelivered S-300s following UN sanctions against Tehran now appears to reach a settlement stage. I RADARS
As seen above, air defence also involves radars. Saab has recently added new members to its Giraffe family of radars, the Giraffe 4A being a multi-mission radar that amongst other roles can fulfil those of air surveillance
To answer a defunct Czech and Slovak common requirement for a mobile 3D radar, Retia developed the ReUnion radar system. (Retia)
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and ground-based air defence. A 3D S-band aesa radar covering over 70° in elevation, it can rotate at 30 or 60 revolutions per minute. Its air surveillance range is 280 km against fighters, 150 km against smaller aircraft and 100 km against drones. In optimised search mode without rotation it can cover a sector of between 40° and 120°. The Giraffe 4A can follow over 1,000 tracks in the air surveillance mode, and can be operated either locally or remotely, standard layout being shelter mounted on a 6x6 truck. In ground-based air defence mode the 4A can also provide identification. The Giraffe 8A has even longer ranges, respectively 470, 400 and 200 km against the target mentioned. Also operating in S-band, its aerial provides an elevation
coverage of over 65° with a rotation of 24 rpm, while in static mode it can search a sector of 40° to 100°, the 8A being also able to follow over 1,000 tracks. This radar can also be used for BDM purposes, detecting, tracking and reporting short/medium range ballistic missiles. Usually shelter mounted, it is transportable on an 8x8 truck. Austria contracted Selex ES in early 2014 for a new RAT31DL/M to provide long range surveillance. It will work alongside the older RAT31S medium range radars. The new radar will be operational in 2016 and comes in a deployable configuration housed in two containers with a 15-metre self-raising tower. In the fall of 2014 the Czech Republic launched a tender for a mobile 3D radar system; Slovakia has a similar requirement, which led Czech and Slovak companies to form an industrial consortium headed by Retia to develop a new system known as the Reunion. The Czech’s eventual decision to bid on its own should however mark the end of the joint procurement. In Poland Bumar Electronics is working on a long-range warning radar RDL-45 prototype with a maximum operating range of 470 km, aimed at replacing the N-12 (RST-12) used by the Air Force. This development is related to the new medium- and short-range air defence systems that Poland aims to acquire in the coming years. At the Polish MSPO 2014 exhibition LitakTak of Lithuania unveiled its new Amber-1800 mobile long range surveillance 2D radar. Characterised by its huge antenna with its 24 circular modules arranged in two rows rotating at three or six revolutions per minute, the Amber-1800 operates in the 140180 MHz range on 200 working frequencies, its maximum range being 360 km. This range is obtained on targets flying at 10,000 metres, but drops to 80 km with targets at 1,000 metres and 32km with targets at 100 metres. The radar uses PSK modulation pulses, time of pulse being adjustable. Transmitter pulse power is 8 kW and accuracy 0.4° in azimuth. The Amber-1800 can handle up to 1,000 plots per scan and track 150 targets per scan, be installed in eight minutes with a start-up time of three. The system includes a trailer to carry the antenna and the generator, a second shelter module with two consoles is carried on the truck. Currently at advanced prototype stage, the Amber-1800 is proposed for upgrading existing mediumlong range air defence systems of different origins, and can be equipped with Nato or Soviet-standard IFFs.