The air defense unit of the mountain motorized rifle formation of the 41st combined-arms army (Tyva) has received a mobile small-sized radar station (radar) 1L122 "Garmon". This was reported by the press service of the Central Military District. The station is designed to detect air targets and control the surrounding space in the interests of short and medium-range anti-aircraft missile batteries.

“The working station (“ Garmon ”. - RT ) is capable of detecting air targets at ranges from 1 to 40 km at an altitude of 10 km. The maximum speed of a detected target is limited to 700 m / s, ”the website of the RF Ministry of Defense says.

"Garmon" consists of an antenna, a container with receiving and transmitting equipment, a support-rotary device in the form of a tripod, a ground radio interrogator, communication equipment, information processing equipment, a navigation complex and a control panel with a monitor on which information about the air situation is displayed.

The manufacturer of "Harmony" is the concern "Radioelectronic Technologies" (KRET) of the state corporation "Rostec". The station can be produced in a modification for transfer by military personnel and for installation on various vehicles. In particular, this radar is integrated into the latest mobile anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) "Gibka-S".

The mass of the portable portable version "Harmony" is no more than 150 kg. All radar units are packed in special containers for easy transportation and assembly on the ground. Each container weighs less than 30 kg.

According to Rostec, Garmon is assembled and disassembled in five minutes by a crew of three.

The station is capable of fixing the most complex aerial objects, including a hang glider or a helicopter hovering in the mountains. The radar can simultaneously detect 31 targets within a radius of up to 45 km.

The state corporation believes that "Garmon" is an irreplaceable source of information for providing flights at field and temporary airfields. The components of the radar can be dropped from an aircraft and easily delivered to any hard-to-reach areas. 

  • Station "Garmon",
  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

The materials of the RF Ministry of Defense also highly appreciate the mobility and modest weight and size characteristics of the "Harmony". In the opinion of the military, these qualities make it possible to carry out prompt delivery of the radar "to destinations, including in the conditions of hard-to-reach and mountainous terrain."

According to the military department, Airborne Forces units, formations of the Central Military District, including the 201st Russian base in Tajikistan, are equipped with "Harmonies". In 2014, Garmon was involved in monitoring the air situation during the Olympic Games in Sochi.

"In the absence of visibility"

According to experts, portable radars are often uncontested for carrying out radar reconnaissance in hard-to-reach areas, where transport and military equipment cannot reach. Analysts named the 1L227 Sobolyatnik station, created within the walls of PJSC NPO Strela (Tula), as one of the most successful developments of domestic engineers.

The multifunctional radar is capable of detecting low-flying drones, single and group ground objects, enemy surface platforms, as well as adjusting artillery and mortar fire.

Sobolyatnik can simultaneously automatically track up to 20 targets and detect small objects at a distance of several tens of kilometers. 

“The portable station combines almost all the capabilities of modern radars, despite the extremely small dimensions and weight of only 36 kg. Deployment time of the station does not exceed two minutes ... 30-meter cable "Sobolyatnik", connecting the monitor with the antenna, minimizes the possibility of hitting its operator in the event of an enemy attempt to destroy the complex, "- said in the materials of the RF Ministry of Defense.

The smallest brainchild of Tula engineers is the Fara-VR short-range reconnaissance radar weighing 12 kg. This device is capable of automatically detecting moving targets within a radius of 10 km and transmitting their coordinates to weapons. In particular, the station is interfaced with Kalashnikov (PKMSN), Pecheneg, Kord machine guns, AGS-17 and AGS-30 easel grenade launchers.

The general director of Strela, Vyacheslav Chapkin, in his article for the Aerospace Frontier magazine noted that Fara-VR is indispensable "when conducting military operations in the absence of optical visibility."

According to the head of the enterprise, the small-sized station combines “practically all the capabilities of modern radars”.

At the same time, as Chapkin said, "Fara-VR" provides "high secrecy of work from the means of electronic countermeasures of the enemy, since its emitted power is less than that of a cell phone."

Another unique development of Tula designers is the Aistenok artillery reconnaissance radar. It is the world's first portable multifunctional radar for detecting firing positions of firing mortars, barreled artillery and multiple launch rocket systems.

  • Artillery reconnaissance radar "Aistenok"
  • © Rosoboronexport

The mass of "Aistenok" is 135 kg, the detection range of firing positions of mortars is 5 km, moving targets is up to 20 km, the number of combat crew is 3 people, the time of transfer to a combat position is 5 minutes.

“Automation of the complex (“ Aistenka ”- RT ) is able to calculate the flight parameters of artillery ammunition of caliber from 81 to 120 mm and determine the launch point or the place where the projectile falls. The system can also be used to control the firing of artillery guns of caliber from 122 to 152 mm. In this mode, the radar station detects the bursts of shells and calculates their location, ”the website of the Russian Defense Ministry says.

In turn, the materials of Rosoboronexport note the safe operation of the Aistenok, the presence of a modern element base in it, as well as the possibility of reconnaissance at any time of the day and in the absence of visibility due to adverse weather conditions (fog, rain, blizzard, dust or smoke ).

"At the level of the advanced countries of the world"

Experts believe that domestic small-sized radar stations are being successfully improved in the direction of miniaturization, increasing the range and increasing the level of noise immunity.

Portable radars are virtually invisible on the ground and consume less power than larger samples. In addition, servicemen equipped with small-sized radars are able to quickly change their deployment, avoiding fire damage from the enemy.

“Portable radar stations are of particular importance in mountainous areas, where it is not always possible to transfer weapons using vehicles. Of course, such radars are much easier to deliver to hard-to-reach areas, "Sergey Denisentsev, an expert at the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, explained in an interview with RT.

The editor-in-chief of the magazine "Arsenal of the Fatherland" Viktor Murakhovsky noted that modern domestic portable ground reconnaissance stations, compared to their Soviet counterparts, have decreased in size by about two times, and in weight by three. In a commentary on RT, the expert emphasized that such progress was made possible primarily due to the emergence of new microelectronics.

“The advantages of such radars over optical reconnaissance means are in their all-weather capability and longer range. Yes, radio beams cannot bend around the earth's surface, but at the tactical level, the available capabilities of portable radars are quite enough to open enemy targets and give target designation to weapons. In general, the development of Russian technical intelligence assets is at the level of the world's leading countries, ”Murakhovsky summed up.