Misplaced Pages

Voronezh

Front of Voronezh-M early-warning radar, Lekhtusi Radar Station, July 2012
Country of origin	Russia
Designer	Mints Radiotechnical Institute
Introduced	2009
No. built	8 operational as of 2017
Type	Phased array early-warning radar
Frequency	Voronezh-M: 150–200 MHz (VHF) Voronezh-DM: 0.05 m wavelength (UHF)
Range	Up to 6,000 km, accompanying 500 targets
Power	Claimed 0.7 MW consumption
Other Names	77Ya6 (77Я6)

Voronezh radars (Russian: РЛС Воронеж) are the current generation of Russian early-warning radar, providing long distance monitoring of airspace against ballistic missile 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. The previous generation of radar was known as the Daryal (after Darial Gorge), Volga (after Volga River) and Daugava (Daugava River) and the generation before the Dnepr (Dnieper River), and Dnestr (Dniester River).

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 was quoted as saying "I expect that this step 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. 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 kilometers). Russia claims the radar can detect targets the size of a "football ball" at a distance of 8000 km.
• 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 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

The first radar, a Voronezh-M, was built in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg. It entered testing in 2005 and was declared "combat ready" in 2012. It is adjacent to the A.F. Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy, which is an officer training centre for the Aerospace Defence Forces. It is described as filling the early warning gap caused by the closure of the radar station at Skrunda in Latvia in 1998, although the Volga radar in Hantsavichy, Belarus, 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 radars in Sevastopol and Mukachevo, Ukraine, 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 radar is facing south east and could replace the Daryal radar in Gabala that closed at the end of 2012. The radar station at Armavir was damaged by a Ukrainian drone strike in 2024 during the Russo-Ukrainian War.

The third radar is to the south of Pionersky in Kaliningrad, on the site of Dunayevka airfield. It is another UHF Voronezh-DM and is surrounded by countries that are now in NATO. There is only one radar here and it is fully operational in 2014.

A radar was built at Mishelevka in Irkutsk on the site of the former, and never operational, Daryal radar 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 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 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 in 2013, other locations announced are Omsk, Yeniseysk and Orenburg.

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, Altai Krai and Orenburg Oblast.

According to Russia's Ministry of Defence, in 2022 construction of new radar stations near Vorkuta and Murmansk (Olenegorsk) will be completed.

Locations

Download coordinates as:

• KML
• GPX (all coordinates)
• GPX (primary coordinates)
• GPX (secondary coordinates)

References

1. "Рогозин ознакомился с работой новейшей РЛС в Калининградской области". 29 February 2012. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
2. ^ "Увидеть футбольный мяч с 8000 км: как устроена ПВО России". 17 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
3. Радиолокационная станция высокой заводской готовности "Воронеж-ДМ" [Radar of high prefabrication Voronezh-DM] (in Russian). Russian Ministry of Defence. n.d. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
4. Радиолокационная станция высокой заводской готовности "Воронеж-М" [Radar of high prefabrication Voronezh-M] (in Russian). Russian Ministry of Defence. n.d. Archived from the original on 2013-01-24. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
5. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2011-11-29). "Voronezh-DM radar near Kaliningrad is operational". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
6. Редактор. "Россия увеличит возможности Системы предупреждения о ракетном нападении - Армейский вестник". Archived from the original on 26 May 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
7. Задача по быстрому развертыванию РЛС в России выполнима, сообщает ВКО Archived 2012-01-03 at the Wayback Machine РИА Новости
8. "РЛС ВЗГ "Воронеж ДМ"". РТИ Системы. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
9. "Начались испытания иркутской РЛС системы предупреждения о ракетном нападении" [The Irkutsk early warning radar began testing]. Сделано у нас. 2012-03-20. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
10. ^ "РЛС "Воронеж", радиолокационная станция СПРН высокой заводской готовности" [Voronezh early warning radar of high prefabrication]. Оружие России . n.d. Archived from the original on 2012-12-09. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
11. ^ Stukalin, Alexander (May 2012). "Russian Air and Space Defense Troops: Gaping Holes". Moscow Defense Brief. 2012 (2). Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. Archived from the original on 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
12. "Указ "О присуждении Государственных премий Российской Федерации в области науки и технологий 2011 года"" [Decree: On the awarding of the state prizes of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology 2011]. Kremlin.ru. 2012-06-08. Archived from the original on 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
13. "За создание РЛС нового поколения "Воронеж" высокой заводской готовности ряду специалистов вручена Государственная премия" [For the creation of a new generation of radar of high prefabrication "Voronezh" a number of experts were awarded the state prize]. Центр анализа мировой торговли оружием . 2012-06-08. Archived from the original on 2017-10-13. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
14. Podvig, Pavel (2012-02-11). "Radar in Lekhtusi begins combat duty". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
15. Podvig, Pavel (2006-01-30). "Voronezh-DM radar is in Lekhtusi". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
16. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2009-12-23). "Radar in Lekhtusi accepted for service". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2011-09-11.
17. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2009-02-14). "Two radars at Armavir". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
18. Podvig, Pavel (2009-02-12). "Armavir radar fills the gap". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
19. Nakashima, Ellen; Khurshudyan, Isabelle (29 May 2024). "U.S. concerned about Ukraine strikes on Russian nuclear radar stations". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
20. "Шойгу: оснащенность Российской армии современным оружием и техникой за год выросла на 7%". Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
21. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2011-06-21). "Daryal-U radar in Mishelevka demolished". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
22. Podvig, Pavel (2012-04-07). "Voronezh-M radar in Mishelevka identified". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
23. Podvig, Pavel (19 December 2014). "Four early-warning radars began combat duty in 2014". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
24. ^ Модернизация радаров СПРН в Северо-Западном округе начнется в 2015 году [Upgrading early warning radars in the Northwest District will begin in 2015] (in Russian). Lenta.ru. 2011-12-12. Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
25. Podvig, Pavel (2012-04-12). "Early Warning". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
26. ^ "Строительство радиолокационной станции Системы предупреждения о ракетном нападении началось в Алтайском крае" [Construction of a missile warning radar system began in Altay]. TASS. 2013-06-02. Archived from the original on 2013-09-13. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
27. ^ "Three advanced early warning radars enter service in Russia". TASS. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
28. "В 2022 году введут в строй новые радиолокационные станции под Воркутой и Мурманском". Rossiyskaya Gazeta (in Russian). 29 October 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
29. Перспективные РЛС [Advanced radar] (in Russian). RTI Mints. n.d. Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
30. Известия: Россия восстанавливает "противоракетный зонтик" [Izvestia: Russia restores the "missile umbrella"]. Izvestia (in Russian). n.d. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
31. "ЦАМТО / Новости / Владимир Путин выступил на церемонии открытия Международного военно-технического форума «Армия-2015»". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
32. Kateryna Hodunova (27 May 2024). "Source: Ukrainian drone strikes Russian early-warning radar, traveling record-breaking 1,800 kilometers". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
33. Kateryna Hodunova (27 May 2024). "Updated: Ukrainian drone strikes Russian early-warning radar, traveling record-breaking 1,800 kilometers". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
34. "Интерфакс-Агентство Военных Новостей". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
35. Podvig, Pavel (2012-03-22). "New Voronezh-M radar in Mishelevka entered trials". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
36. "На сайте Минобороны России размещен видеоотчет об итогах деятельности ведомства в 2014 г., представленный сегодня Министром обороны на расширенном заседании Коллегии Минобороны : Министерство обороны Российской Федерации". Archived from the original on 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
37. Podvig, Pavel (2014-06-02). "Voronezh-DM radar in Yeniseysk". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
38. Podvig, Pavel (2014-09-17). "Location of the Barnaul early-warning radar". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
39. Podvig, Pavel (2014-09-19). "Voronezh-M early-warning radar in Orsk located". Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces. Archived from the original on 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
40. "Ukraine drone targets second Russian long-range military radar, Kyiv source says". Reuters. 27 May 2024.
41. "Комиинформ - В Воркуте началось строительство радиолокационной станции". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
42. "В Крыму установят новейшую РЛС "Воронеж-СМ"". Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-08-16.

External links

• Voronezh-DM Armavir photos from Novosti Kosmonavtiki

• Russian Space Forces
• Russian military radars
• Air defence radar networks
• NIIDAR products
• Early warning systems
• Military equipment introduced in the 2000s