Russia displayed the 96L6 surveillance radar for the S-400 missile system at the MAKS 2001 defence exhibition at Zhukovsky near Moscow, writes Miroslav Gy? It operates in C-band, and the manufacturers say it can detect and track aircraft and cruise missiles which use stealth technology.
Work on the 96L6 began in the second half of the 1980s, when Boris Vasilyevics Bunkin, the general designer of CKB Almaz defined the requirements for a surveillance radar to form part of the new S-400 missile system. The design of the new radar was assigned to the Lira design bureau, which is a part of LEMZ - the Lianozovskiz Elektromekhanicseskij Zavod (Lianozovo Elektromechanical Factory). Lira and LEMZ are part of the financial-industrial group Oboronitelniye Sistemi (Defence Systems).
During the development and trials stage OKR (Opitno-Konstruktorskaya Rabota) of the programme, the new radar was designated VVO (Vsevisotniy Obnaruzhitel = detector for all altitudes).
The requirements for the VVO were very rigorous. The team headed by the late main designer Yuriy Fyodorovics Lisin based its design on research by Professor VI Vinokurov into the detection of difficult signals.
Another organisation involved with the development programme was the scientific research experimental establishment (Naucsno-Issledovatelskaya Eksperimentalnaya Rabota) Slozhnost (Complexity), whose general designers are BV Bunkin and Yuriy Aleksandrovics Kuznecov.
An experimental radar was built and tested in a series of trials against Yak-52 training aircraft. Specialists from other Russian radar establishments such as LETI, NII-2 MO, NII-3 MO, UPI, CNIIRES and VNIIRT participated in the trials, and the resulting data influenced the future development of radar technology in what was then the Soviet Union.
In 1988, representatives of the main developing organisation and the customer signed agreement giving the go-ahead for wideband radar technology, based on this earlier research to be used in the VVO programme. As a result of theoretical and experimental research, a database of difficult signals was developed, along with signal processing hardware with a speed of 10 billion operations per second, plus other components.
In 1991, the Lira design bureau built a prototype of the VVO radar. This started operation in early 1992, and in April of that year was demonstrated against low-altitude targets. Later that year systems were delivered for trials at the training centre of NII-2, the scientific research institute of the Russian air-defence forces. The system was displayed in model form at the MAKS 97 defence exhibition.
When the system enters service it will replace the 5N66M and 76N6 (NVO/NVO-M) radars currently used for the detection of low-flying targets. (The 76N6 is known to NATO as 'Clam Shell'.) Both had been developed in the early 1970s by the design bureau of the LEMZ factory. Later the 96L6 will replace the 19Zh6/35D6/36D6 family (ST-68U/-68UM) of all-round surveillance radars, which were developed and produced in Ukraine by NPO Iskra.
The role of the 96L6 is the detection of air targets and measuring of their azimuth, elevation and range. It can be used with the S-300PMU surface-to-air (SAM) system, can autonomously assign targets for the 90Zh6E, 90Zh6E1 and 90Zh6E2 (S-300PMU-1 and later) air-defence missile complexes, and can be connected with the Baykal-1E and Senezh-M1E automated command and control systems or the radiotechnical forces' Osnova-1E and Polye-E command posts.
It can pass information about a wide spectrum of the aerial targets, including aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and missiles, to the 30N6E, 30N6E1, 30N6E2 ('Flap Lid') series of tracking and missile guidance radars.
The 96L6 is very effective against low flying targets and against targets in the medium and high altitudes. It maintains its performance in the presence of heavy jamming, and has a very low false-alarm rate.
Targets can be tracked at elevations from 60? down to 0?, but a minimum of -3? is available as an option. The antenna uses several beams when scanning in elevation. For detection of very low flying targets, or if the radar is deployed in a wooded area, the antenna can be mounted on a 966AA14 elevated tower. The latter consists of a 40V6M tower mounted on a MAZ-537G (74106) truck.
There are two versions of the 96L6 - one which is installed on a single vehicle, and another which uses two vehicles.
The single-vehicle variant consists of:
• a 966AA01 antenna array;
• a 966FF03 shelter which houses the receiving, transmitting and information-processing subsystems, an operator console, communication and IFF systems and a ZIP-O repair set;
• a TM966 vehicle based on a Type 7930 Astrolog wheeled chassis with a SEP-2L generator and power-distribution system; and
• a set of cables.
The two-vehicle version consists of:
• a truck and trailer-mounted 966AA00 antenna set incorporating the 966AA01 antenna, an SES-75, SES-75M or equivalent model of electrical generator and power-distribution system, plus cables; and
• a truck and trailer-mounted 966FF00 installation incorporating the 966FF03 shelter and SES-75/-75M electrical system.
The two vehicles can be deployed up to 100m apart.
Operating frequency C-band (4-6GHz)
Range 5-300km
Maximum target elevation up to 60?
Maximum number of tracks up to 100 targets
Time from target detection to availability of target data:
- For elevations under 1.5? 12s
- For elevations over 1.5? 21s
Maximum number of the false target co-ordinates in 30min no more than 3-5
Crew 3
All-round search performance
Azimuth 360?
Elevation 0-20? (-3? if required)
Doppler speed range ?30 to ?1,200m/s
Information update rate:
- in the low zone (0-1.5?) 6s
- in the upper zone (1.5-20?) 12s
Sector search
Azimuth up to 120?
Elevation 0-60? (-3? if required)
Doppler speed range ?50 to ?2,800m/s
Time taken: sector search up to 8s
Time taken: lower sector search 5.5s
Time taken: full search cycle 13.5s
Low-altitude target search
Azimuth 360?
Elevation 0-1.5?
Doppler speed range ?30 to ?1,200m/s
Search time 6s
Deployment time from the move 5min (single-vehicle) 30min (two-vehicle)
Time needed to install antenna on the tower 120min
Activation time when in combat position no more than 3 min
Activation time when alerted no more than 40s
Continuous operating time no limits
Operating environment
Temperature ?50?C
Dust up to 2.5g/m_
Wind up to 30m/s
Resistance to being over-turned by wind up to 50m/s
Operating altitude up to 3,000m
Service life before overhaul 10 years
Operating hours before overhaul 12,000h
Total service life 20+ years
Total operating hours 25,000-30,000h
Work on the 96L6 began in the second half of the 1980s, when Boris Vasilyevics Bunkin, the general designer of CKB Almaz defined the requirements for a surveillance radar to form part of the new S-400 missile system. The design of the new radar was assigned to the Lira design bureau, which is a part of LEMZ - the Lianozovskiz Elektromekhanicseskij Zavod (Lianozovo Elektromechanical Factory). Lira and LEMZ are part of the financial-industrial group Oboronitelniye Sistemi (Defence Systems).
During the development and trials stage OKR (Opitno-Konstruktorskaya Rabota) of the programme, the new radar was designated VVO (Vsevisotniy Obnaruzhitel = detector for all altitudes).
The requirements for the VVO were very rigorous. The team headed by the late main designer Yuriy Fyodorovics Lisin based its design on research by Professor VI Vinokurov into the detection of difficult signals.
Another organisation involved with the development programme was the scientific research experimental establishment (Naucsno-Issledovatelskaya Eksperimentalnaya Rabota) Slozhnost (Complexity), whose general designers are BV Bunkin and Yuriy Aleksandrovics Kuznecov.
An experimental radar was built and tested in a series of trials against Yak-52 training aircraft. Specialists from other Russian radar establishments such as LETI, NII-2 MO, NII-3 MO, UPI, CNIIRES and VNIIRT participated in the trials, and the resulting data influenced the future development of radar technology in what was then the Soviet Union.
In 1988, representatives of the main developing organisation and the customer signed agreement giving the go-ahead for wideband radar technology, based on this earlier research to be used in the VVO programme. As a result of theoretical and experimental research, a database of difficult signals was developed, along with signal processing hardware with a speed of 10 billion operations per second, plus other components.
In 1991, the Lira design bureau built a prototype of the VVO radar. This started operation in early 1992, and in April of that year was demonstrated against low-altitude targets. Later that year systems were delivered for trials at the training centre of NII-2, the scientific research institute of the Russian air-defence forces. The system was displayed in model form at the MAKS 97 defence exhibition.
When the system enters service it will replace the 5N66M and 76N6 (NVO/NVO-M) radars currently used for the detection of low-flying targets. (The 76N6 is known to NATO as 'Clam Shell'.) Both had been developed in the early 1970s by the design bureau of the LEMZ factory. Later the 96L6 will replace the 19Zh6/35D6/36D6 family (ST-68U/-68UM) of all-round surveillance radars, which were developed and produced in Ukraine by NPO Iskra.
The role of the 96L6 is the detection of air targets and measuring of their azimuth, elevation and range. It can be used with the S-300PMU surface-to-air (SAM) system, can autonomously assign targets for the 90Zh6E, 90Zh6E1 and 90Zh6E2 (S-300PMU-1 and later) air-defence missile complexes, and can be connected with the Baykal-1E and Senezh-M1E automated command and control systems or the radiotechnical forces' Osnova-1E and Polye-E command posts.
It can pass information about a wide spectrum of the aerial targets, including aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and missiles, to the 30N6E, 30N6E1, 30N6E2 ('Flap Lid') series of tracking and missile guidance radars.
The 96L6 is very effective against low flying targets and against targets in the medium and high altitudes. It maintains its performance in the presence of heavy jamming, and has a very low false-alarm rate.
Targets can be tracked at elevations from 60? down to 0?, but a minimum of -3? is available as an option. The antenna uses several beams when scanning in elevation. For detection of very low flying targets, or if the radar is deployed in a wooded area, the antenna can be mounted on a 966AA14 elevated tower. The latter consists of a 40V6M tower mounted on a MAZ-537G (74106) truck.
There are two versions of the 96L6 - one which is installed on a single vehicle, and another which uses two vehicles.
The single-vehicle variant consists of:
• a 966AA01 antenna array;
• a 966FF03 shelter which houses the receiving, transmitting and information-processing subsystems, an operator console, communication and IFF systems and a ZIP-O repair set;
• a TM966 vehicle based on a Type 7930 Astrolog wheeled chassis with a SEP-2L generator and power-distribution system; and
• a set of cables.
The two-vehicle version consists of:
• a truck and trailer-mounted 966AA00 antenna set incorporating the 966AA01 antenna, an SES-75, SES-75M or equivalent model of electrical generator and power-distribution system, plus cables; and
• a truck and trailer-mounted 966FF00 installation incorporating the 966FF03 shelter and SES-75/-75M electrical system.
The two vehicles can be deployed up to 100m apart.
Operating frequency C-band (4-6GHz)
Range 5-300km
Maximum target elevation up to 60?
Maximum number of tracks up to 100 targets
Time from target detection to availability of target data:
- For elevations under 1.5? 12s
- For elevations over 1.5? 21s
Maximum number of the false target co-ordinates in 30min no more than 3-5
Crew 3
All-round search performance
Azimuth 360?
Elevation 0-20? (-3? if required)
Doppler speed range ?30 to ?1,200m/s
Information update rate:
- in the low zone (0-1.5?) 6s
- in the upper zone (1.5-20?) 12s
Sector search
Azimuth up to 120?
Elevation 0-60? (-3? if required)
Doppler speed range ?50 to ?2,800m/s
Time taken: sector search up to 8s
Time taken: lower sector search 5.5s
Time taken: full search cycle 13.5s
Low-altitude target search
Azimuth 360?
Elevation 0-1.5?
Doppler speed range ?30 to ?1,200m/s
Search time 6s
Deployment time from the move 5min (single-vehicle) 30min (two-vehicle)
Time needed to install antenna on the tower 120min
Activation time when in combat position no more than 3 min
Activation time when alerted no more than 40s
Continuous operating time no limits
Operating environment
Temperature ?50?C
Dust up to 2.5g/m_
Wind up to 30m/s
Resistance to being over-turned by wind up to 50m/s
Operating altitude up to 3,000m
Service life before overhaul 10 years
Operating hours before overhaul 12,000h
Total service life 20+ years
Total operating hours 25,000-30,000h
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