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 time in which to operate. This contrasts with systems used primarily for tracking or gun laying , which tend to offer shorter ranges but offer much higher accuracy.
19-636: Armavir Radar Station (Russian: Радиолокационная станция (РЛС) в Армавире ) is an early warning radar station near Armavir in Krasnodar Krai , Russia . It is a key part of the Russian early warning system against missile attack and is run by the Russian Space Forces . There are two radars here - one faces south west and one south east. They provide radar coverage of the Middle East . The station
38-670: A UHF radar with a stated range of 4,200 kilometres (2,610 mi). One of the radars, facing southwest, replaces the coverage lost by the dispute with Ukraine over the Dnepr radars in Mukachevo and Sevastopol . The other, facing south east, can replace the Daryal radar in Gabala although it is behind in construction. Data from Armavir, together with Gabala was offered to the United States as part of
57-419: Is greatly extended. This allows the radar to use high-frequency signals, offering high resolution, while still offering long range. A major exception to this rule are radars intended to warn of ballistic missile attacks, like BMEWS , as the high-altitude exo-atmospheric trajectory of these weapons allows them to be seen at great ranges even from ground-based radars. CXAM radar The CXAM radar system
76-451: Is located on the former Baronovsky Airfield (Russian: аэродром Бароновский ) 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south west of the village of Glubokiy and 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south west of Armavir . The station was described as starting to operate at the end of 2006 and then entering "experimental combat mode" in 2008. On the day in 2009 that Russia lost coverage from radars in Ukraine it
95-611: The microwave range in ever-increasingly powerful models that reached the 50 MW range by the 1960s. Since then, improvements in receiver electronics has greatly reduced the amount of signal needed to produce an accurate image, and in modern examples the transmitted power is much less; the AN/FPS-117 offers 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) range from 25 kW. EW radars are also highly susceptible to radar jamming and often include advanced frequency hopping systems to reduce this problem. The first early-warning radars were
114-728: The British Chain Home , the German Freya , the US CXAM (Navy) and SCR-270 (Army), and the Soviet Union RUS-2 [ ru ] . By modern standards these were quite short range, typically about 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km). This "short" distance is a side effect of radio propagation at the long wavelengths being used at the time, which were generally limited to line-of-sight. Although techniques for long-range propagation were known and widely used for shortwave radio ,
133-604: The ability to process the complex return signal was simply not possible at the time. To counter the threat of Soviet bombers flying over the Arctic, the U.S. and Canada developed the DEW Line . Other examples ( Pinetree Line ) have since been built with even better performance. An alternative early warning design was the Mid-Canada Line , which provided "line breaking" indication across the middle of Canada , with no provision to identify
152-640: The battleship Texas . Based on testing in January 1939, where the XAF was more reliable, the US Navy ordered RCA to build six XAF-based units for deployment and then shortly thereafter ordered 14 more. The first six units RCA produced (delivered in 1940) were denoted "CXAM" and were a fusion of XAF and CXZ technologies. These were installed on the battleship California , the aircraft carrier Yorktown (in September 1940), and
171-474: The cost of signal strength, and offset this with long pulse widths , which increases the signal at the cost of lowering range resolution. The canonical EW radar is the British Chain Home system, which entered full-time service in 1938. It used a very low pulse repetition of 25 pps and very powerful transmissions (for the era) reaching 1 MW in late-war upgrades. The German Freya and US CXAM (Navy) and SCR-270 (Army) were similar. Post-war models moved to
190-437: The heavy cruiser Augusta ; on two light cruisers; and on the seaplane tender Curtiss . Radar detection range of aircraft depends on altitude, size, and number of the target aircraft, as well as the radar's characteristics, such as transmitter power and receiver sensitivity. Surface ships are more difficult to detect due to a number of factors such as signal return from waves (called in general ground clutter ), distance to
209-551: The heavy cruisers Pensacola , Northampton , Chester , and Chicago . The next 14 units RCA produced (also delivered in 1940) were denoted "CXAM-1" and were slight improvements over the CXAM design. These were installed on the battleships Texas (in October 1941), Pennsylvania , West Virginia , North Carolina , and Washington ; on the aircraft carriers Lexington , Saratoga , Ranger , Enterprise , and Wasp ; on
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#1732890969825228-649: The horizon (due to the curvature of the Earth), elevation of the radar antenna, height of the target above the sea surface, and water vapor in the air. These factors serve to reduce the range at which a surface target can be detected when compared to aircraft. The CXAM is listed (in U.S. Radar, Operational Characteristics of Radar Classified by Tactical Application) as being able to detect single aircraft at 50 miles (80 km) and to detect large ships at 14 miles (23 km). Other sources list CXAM detection range on aircraft out to 100 miles (160 km). Lexington 's CXAM-1 detected
247-699: The negotiations over Russian opposition to US missile defence in Europe. Armavir is close to Iran, like Gabala, and also provides intelligence on missile activity in the Middle East. Armavir cannot completely counter the loss of Gabala. Gabala is further south and has a longer range. Armavir may also be affected by the Caucasus Mountains . In 2007 Vladimir Popovkin , then commander of the Russian Space Forces , said that Gabala, together with Balkhash in Kazakhstan and
266-522: The role. For instance, EW radar typically operates at lower frequencies, and thus longer wavelengths, than other types. This greatly reduces their interaction with rain and snow in the air, and therefore improves their performance in the long-range role where their coverage area will often include precipitation. This also has the side-effect of lowering their optical resolution , but this is not important in this role. Likewise, EW radars often use much lower pulse repetition frequency to maximize their range, at
285-401: The target's exact location or direction of travel. Starting in the 1950s, a number of over-the-horizon radars were developed that greatly extended detection ranges, generally by bouncing the signal off the ionosphere . Today the early warning role has been supplanted to a large degree by airborne early warning platforms. By placing the radar on an aircraft, the line-of-sight to the horizon
304-501: The two stations in Ukraine, cannot be relied upon as Russia cannot be sure it will have access to them in periods of international tension and war. On 3 September 2013 Armavir detected two US/Israeli ballistic test launches in the Mediterranean towards Syria. On 23 May 2024, the station was hit by Ukrainian drone attack. Early warning radar EW radars tend to share a number of design features that improve their performance in
323-658: Was announced that it had "begun operations". In May 2012 it was announced that it would go on combat duty before the end of 2012. In December 2012 it was announced it will be in the first quarter of 2013. 6 June 2013 commissioned by order of the President Vladimir Putin visiting the Central Command Post of the Russian Armed Forces. Planned second segment, which will overlap zone of the Gabala radar station. It
342-456: Was developed by NIIDAR (НИИДАР) and was built by Spetsstroy (Федеральное агентство специального строительства, also called Спецстрой России). Equipment installation was performed by Spetstehmontazh (Спецтехмонтаж). Voronezh radar are highly prefabricated radars needing fewer personnel and using less energy than previous generations. There are two in Armavir and they are described as Voronezh-DM,
361-673: Was the first production radar system deployed on United States Navy ships, operating in the mid-high VHF frequency band of 200 MHz. It followed several earlier prototype systems, such as the NRL radar installed in April 1937 on the destroyer Leary ; its successor, the XAF , installed in December 1938 on the battleship New York ; and the first RCA -designed system, the CXZ, installed in December 1938 or January 1939 on
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