Here we are going to see a unique radar that has no analogues in the world.
Don-2N (Pill Box) is a stationary multi-functional radar with a phased-array antenna based in the Moscow region. The radar is a four-sided truncated pyramid which is 33 m high. Every side is 130 m long along the basis and 90 m long along the roof.
A missile defense system consists of two key elements such as the ballistic-missile detector and missiles for their annihilation or anti-missiles. The system that lacks any element is totally useless.
Ballistic missiles move as follows: they perform launch and boost, move along the ballistic trajectory and enter dense layers of atmosphere which is followed by target hitting.
The container is used for the missile transportation.
It is easy to destroy a missile at the first stage. For this purpose satellites search for the missile following the infra-red radiation of incandescent gases breaking out from the jet pipe. Even a huge and non-protected missile becomes an easy target for counter-missiles.
At the second stage a missile can be detected with the help of radars. The earlier it is detected the better it is as only 15 minutes are left before the target can be hit.
The screen of biological protection. The metal wall is higher than trees.
The place consists of many secret parts.
As far as the last stage goes, only a couple of minutes is left and missiles are moving too fast now. A radar must differentiate between false and true targets.
According to the agreement signed by the USSR and USA in 1970, every country had a right to protect from the missiles only one region.The USSR chose Moscow while the USA chose lands of the Northern Dakota with mines containing nuclear missiles.
Development of the ballistic missile defense system started in 1971. It was put into service in 1995. The system could hit heads of intercontinental ballistic missiles developing 6-7 km a second with counter-missiles supplied with nuclear warheads, etc.
Detection of a missile in the extra-atmospheric area was realized by considering the change of the target flight trajectory under the influence of nuclear explosion while light and heavy targets in the atmosphere were differentiated by way of their inhibition in the air flow.
Construction of the Don-2N station was started in 1978 when over 30 thousand tons of metal, 50 thousand tons of concrete and 20 thousand km of cable were used. The station started functioning in 1989 following mounting, assembling and adjustment of equipment.
The station protects airspace of Russia and CIS countries from attacks of ballistic missiles at the height of 40 000 km.
As soon as a target is detected, the station starts tracking it selecting true targets.
When an enemy uses weapon of mass destruction, the station can exist in an automatic regimen. It is supplied with products, water, systems of air purification, automatic electric supply and air cooling. The building can be reached through underground tunnels. One tunnel is big enough to let trucks go.
Separate blocks of the section are clearly seen in the photo. Antenna elements are located at the very end. Controlling equipment and signal boosters occupy the major part of the system.
The console controls a transporter that mounts and shifts blocks.
This is a control center where lots of restricted data are stored. The center controls equipment of the station. Here information about space and radio-electronic environment is processed and analyzed.
This Soviet monitor was not classified, so one could take photos of it when it was switched off.
The central command center of the system. Usually it produces no signal at all or it can very weak. When satellites track a missile the station shifts to the working regimen.
The plan is divided into 4 sectors. Two main directions are northern ones. Unique possibilities of Don-2N station were demonstrated in February 1994. It appeared to be the only station that could find and build the trajectory of the smallest ball (2 inches in diameter) that was launched in space.
via mmet
With the new Gazelle missiles, the Moscow ABM system is arguably the most effective in the world.
WW3. Soon.
Yeah.
Probably gonna break out in the Persian Gulf, seeing as the US 5th Fleet and the Iranian Navy are now facing each other, waiting for one side to make a wrong move.
@ayaa, what do you think would happen should there be a war against Iran? Does Iran have any chance?
If they use what they have right, they can throw back any invasion attempt. They have plenty of powerful anti-ship missiles, not to mention plenty of older missiles. First, launch the older missiles at the US fleet first, and while the fleets defenses are busy dealing with the barrage, launch the new missiles, prefferably with powerful warheads. Goodbye, US 5th fleet.
Strategists have projected any conflict will be limited mostly to denial operations in the Red Sea region and anti-missile and possibly anti-nuclear operations. These will be limited in scope. Predictions indicate Iran will have no ability to counter US force in the Red Sea (worst case scenario) 2 weeks.
Note: The above is not an argument for or against the merits of conflict
Iran’s missile capabilities are extremely limited. Despite this, this is probably one of their greatest strengths. Also of strategic use is their diver teams (explosives) speedboats and mining technology. If used right, these could be a significant problem.
However, these can all be repealed by various means. The US Fifth Fleet has been focusing on crafting strategies to deal with asymmetric threats and other denial strategies.
You don’t actually impact the missile with another. The US was only capable of doing this recently, at great cost and after solving many problems (such as processor speed).
Back then, in the 70′s and 80′s, the way a warhead was killed, was by detonating either another nuke, or a huge non-nuke near the warhead. The resulting blast would hopefully, knock out the ones you want.
But, that comes at a great cost too, because now, you just detonated an EMP over your own territory.
Back in the 70′s, 80′s, we (nobody) had the kind of technology needed to knock out a missile in flight, with another. That’s like trying to shoot one bullet, with another.
This radar system is of the same technology of the US PAVE PAWS(Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System) with an AN/FPS-1XX radar transmission and receiving technology.
The systems are used to track incoming missiles and orbiting satellites. What makes these type systems unique is that the unit can “track” and “scan” with a stationary array antenna. Typical range for detection of incoming missiles was about 3000 miles.(about 5000 kilometres) The frequency range used by this system is much lower than tradition radar. So low, in fact, that it intrudes into the 70cm ametuer radio spectrum.
The US current has operational systems in Alaska, Greenland, California and several other locations.
They are quite interesting systems,I visited the Warner Robins, Georgia PAVE PAWS facility(now inactive) in the mid to late eighties.
Good to know all those Dakota hillbillies were safe.
There are a few “hillbillies” in the Dakotas. They would probably prefer “tater kickers.”
Just joking! They actually have a U. there (maybe 2?)….
It’s impressive but not unique. As for performance, the US/UK ones are classified, so nobody other than insiders can definitively say which works best. See:
It’s impressive but not unique. As for performance, the US/UK ones are classified, so nobody other than insiders can definitively say which works best. See:
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/f/fylingdales/
“a unique radar that has no analogues in the world.” Well…except for the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard/Sprint complex in Nekoma, North Dakota after which it was copied from.
Right. It’s Russian, so it obviously had to be copied from something American.
@jeff, what’s your evidence that this is a copy of the “Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard/Sprint complex in Nekoma, North Dakota”??
The station Don-2N started functioning in 1989, Safeguard/Sprint complex in Nekoma started functioning in 1992, it seems that America had copied from Russia.
Very good photo of the rear of the steerable-phased-array system. Not something that would be shown of a US site, nice and tech-ie.
It is quite a bit different from PAVE/PAWS systems, at least the way it is physically built, as shown in that photo. Perhaps the specs are similar, as physics in general – in the way radio imaging works, and thus how it is constructed would be somewhat similar for a particular range of rf freqs, regardless of what country the system belongs to.
Its other way , American had copied from russia
Russia ftw
Man that tries to save himself will lose his soul.
What good does it do to have the ability to destroy the world 100 times over when you cannot even feed your people.
It would do plenty good to whoever is left, if you were destroyed.