russia's national air defence system

7/23/2019 Russia's National Air Defence System

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/russias-national-air-defence-system 1/1266 www.airforcesmonthly.comJANUARY 2016 #334

ANALYSIS Russia's National Air Defence System

THE RUSSIAN military has invest-ed enormous funds in beefing

up national air defences, deployingnew fighters and state-of-the-artground-based air defence (GBAD)systems. These are used in reliable,reinforced defensive ‘belts’ employ-ing long-range surface-to-air missile(SAM) systems and sophisticatedearly warning radars, integratedthrough highly automated com-mand and control (C2) facilitiesat regiment and division level.That the Russians have come

close to being on military par withthe US in recent years was articu-lated for the first time in publicin mid-September by General

Frank Gorenc, Commanderof US Air Forces in Europe.He noted that Russia is closing

the capability gap and shrinkingthe advantage the US military hashad in the air since the end of theCold War and the dissolution of theSoviet Union in the early 1990s.He said advances were “not only

with respect to the aircraft they’reproducing, but more alarminglytheir ability to create anti-access/area denied [A2/AD] zones, a chal-lenge that we’re all going to face andthat we’re going to have to train to”.Gorenc has also stated that

the military build-up is a directconsequence of the 2008 war

ACCESS DE

Primary GB A D t asks The primary tasks of Russia’s national RuASF and RuN air and missile defence systems are:

• Issuing early warning to Russia’s political and military leadership on the preparation and onset of attacks from the air and space• Facilitating the orderly transition of the state and its armed forces

onto a military footing

• Defeating initial and follow-on attacks mounted by enemy air and space strike assets

• Enabling the stable operation of military and state control bodies, and the national economy as a whole

• Granting direct protection from air and space attacks to the main group of troops (f orces) on the battlefield and naval forces at sea; and providing coverage of the most important military facilities, and national economy and inf rastructure, across the entire territory of Russia


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IED Alexander Mladenov assesses Russia’s comprehensive national air defence system and

likely future developments as advanced new technologies are introduced.

FORTIFYING

PUTIN'S SKIES

Above: Russia’s ability to create areas of denied airspace is centred on the countrywide deployment of the S-400 Triumph long-range SAM system. By late 2015,ten regiments had been equipped with the system – dubbed SA-21 Growler by NATO – while Russia’s ambitious State Armament Programme 2020 foresees theprocurement of a total of 56 S-400 systems, enough to equip 24 to 27 air defence regiments. Andrey Zinchuk via author

Main image: The Su-35S is the latest RuASF fighter type entering service, serving as of late 2015 with three fighter used for air defence of the Far East region andproviding top cover to the large industrial centres of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok. AirTeamImages.com/Weimeng




between Russia and Georgia, sinceafter its conclusion Russia investedheavily in modernising its air arm.All strategically important A2/

AD zones in the Russian air andmissile defence system have

been reinforced with multiple airdefence layers comprising fightersflying co-ordinated interceptions atlonger ranges – and long, mediumand close-range SAM systems –which would be difficult for US andallied strike aircraft to penetrate.Since GBAD systems are gener-ally cheaper than fighter aircraft,they are much more available.General Gorenc has highlighted

two zones in the European part ofRussia that are saturated with GBADhardware. The first extends overthe Crimean peninsula (annexed

by Russia in April 2014) and thesecond covers the Kaliningradexclave on the Baltic coast. Speakingabout the latter, he noted that someof the SAMs in Kaliningrad have therange to hit targets over Poland – inother words, in NATO airspace.

Rapid GBADDevelopmentA rapid development of Russianair and missile defence began inthe late 2000s, driven primarilyby global military rivalry with theUS and other NATO countries.Major General Kirill Makarov,

then Deputy Commander of theRussian Air Force’s AerospaceForces Command, openly admittedin April 2015 that the potentialthreat originating from a globalstrike [that could be launched bythe US military] has been the chiefreason for strengthening nationalair and missile defence since2006. He claimed the US cruise

Left: The Russian Land Forces’ main long-range weapon is the S-400V4. It usestwo types of missiles for medium and ultra-long ranges and is said to be able tocounter so-called aerodynamic targets (fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, cruisemissiles and UAVs) as well as intermediate/short-range ballistic missiles on their

trajectory and in the terminal phase of flight. All images by author unless statedBelow: The S-350 Vityaz system boasts a 360-degree multi-target engagementcapability and has been tailor-made for countering massed air strikes. Thehighly automated radar boasts a rapid reaction capability for detecting, trackingand engaging air targets at ranges from 164ft to 98,400ft (50 to 30,000m).

The S-400’s four-round verticallaunchers can fire several typesof missiles for engaging targets atshort, medium, long and ultra-longranges. This enables regimentalcommanders to select the mostappropriate missile for a greaterchance of a kill. Andrey Zinchuk viaauthor



missile inventory comprises 8,000weapons, 6,000 of which can befitted with nuclear warheads.

He also said Moscow’s layeredair defence grants 99%-effectiveprotection against air attack– thanks to the deployment ofnew-generation SAM systems withfour air defence regiments aroundthe capital, each equipped with twoS-400 (SA-21 Growler ) long-rangeanti-aircraft/anti-ballistic missilesystems and a single S-300PM-2(SA-20 Gargoyle) system.Moscow is the primary air defence

focus and, following a long-estab-lished tradition, all new systems arefirst deployed to defend the city.Makarov claimed Russian Air and

Space Force (RuASF) GBAD coulddetect and engage stealth aircraftand noted plans for deploying earlywarning radars and new SAMs inthe Arctic. Their prime function

Gap-filling MiG-31The MiG-31 Foxhound is the RuASF’s

primary air defence weapon over

the remote northern territories and

regions of the Far East that lack

defensive SAM ‘bubbles’. The ac-

tive fleet of around 130 Foxhounds

includes 76 life-extended, upgraded

MiG-31BM/BSM aircraft.

In late 2015 the Foxhound equipped

nine frontline squadrons, including

one assigned to the Russian Naval

Aviation branch, stationed at Yelizovo

in Kamchatka Peninsula, and one

instructor/research unit.

The four MiG-31 squadrons sta-

tioned in the Central Military District,

from the 712th IAP at Kansk and the

764th IAP at Perm-Bol’shoe Savino,

are regarded as the RuASF’s primary

rapidly deployable air defence assets.

They are tasked with defence of the

huge far northern region and practise

operations from forward operat-

ing bases beyond the Arctic Circle,

including Rogachevo and Vorkuta.

These operations can be reinforced

by Strategic Command North’s sole

MiG-31BM squadron, from the 98th

SAP, stationed at Monchegorsk on the

Kola Peninsula.

The MiG-31BM/BSM upgrade will

eventually be applied to all the Fox-

hounds in active service, with the first

taken on strength in 2008 and the

last expected to roll out in 2019.

The upgraded Foxhound is claimed

to have intercept capability against

low-observable manned and

unmanned strike and reconnais-

sance aircraft flying at subsonic and

supersonic speeds. Then there are

the low-flying cruise missiles – and

even hypersonic vehicles flying at

speeds up to Mach 6 and altitudes

up to 82,000ft (25,000m).

The upgrade focuses on introduc-

ing the vastly improved Tikhomirov-

NIIP S-800AM Zaslon-AM passive

electronically-scanned phased-array

radar with superior detection and

tracking performance and enhanced

jamming resistance. With this radar

the Foxhound’s maximum detection

range is extended to 130nm (240km)

for head-on encounters against large

tactical fighters flying at medium and

high altitudes. The MiG-31BM’s new

R-37M (AA-13 Arrow ) long-range air-to-

air missile (AAM) is set for service-wide

introduction in late 2015 or early

2016. It has an active radar seeker

and longer range than its R-33 pre-

decessor, reaching 110nm (200km)

when launched against high-altitude

targets in head-on engagements.

Meanwhile, the MiG-31BM’s arsenal

has been improved with the R-77

(AA-12 Adder ) active radar-guided

BVR and heat-seeking R-73 within

visual range AAMs, giving it much

increased lethality against manoeu-

vring targets. Tactical data presenta-

tion in the pilot and weapons system

operator (WSO) cockpits is also

improved, while new jam-resistant

data links improve the Foxhound’s

capability in autonomous group

intercept operations.

The most effective method of em-

ploying the Foxhound is in so-called

semi-autonomous group missions,

with target hand-offs from ground-

controlled intercept (GCI) stations or

AEW&C aircraft. Fully autonomous

group tactics are applicable in areas

with huge gaps in radar coverage or

no radar coverage at all. A ‘seek and

destroy’ method, it would be espe-

cially useful against mass bomber

and cruise missile attacks in the

extreme northern territories.

A four-ship flight of MiG-31s could

perform line-abreast sweeps of a

vast swathe of territory using their

own radars; each Foxhound covering

a sector up to 140 degrees wide in

the horizontal plane, equal to 110nm

(200km) across. With the four-

ship’s radars set in a co-ordinated

search mode pattern, the forma-

tion could provide radar coverage

across a front 377 to 430nm (700

to 800km) wide, searching for

targets flying from ground level up

to 82,000ft (25,000m). Acting as

the mission commander, the lead

MiG-31 can receive target informa-

tion from the other three aircraft via

secure data link. Using Foxhound’s advanced data, a commander could

co-ordinate sweeps made by other

fighter groups operating in the same

area, perform target hand-off from

one aircraft to another in his group

that is better positioned to attack or

launch missiles at the most threaten-

ing targets encountered during the

sweep.

‘Moscow is the primary air defence focus and, following a long-established tradition, all new systems are first deployed to defend the city.’

Above: The Pantsir-S1 is a highly mobile close-in SAM/AAA system fitted with two 30mm cannons and 12 57E6-E missilesusing command guidance. The cannons are effective at distances between 660ft and 13,120ft (200m and 4,000m). Andrey Zinchuk via author

This well worn MIG-31 serves with the sole Foxhound squadron assigned to Russian Naval Aviation, stationed at Yelizovoin Kamchatka Peninsula. Russian MoD via author




will be to counter possible attacksby cruise missiles launched frombombers approaching over theNorth Pole and directed towardsMoscow and other strategictargets deep inside Russia.

Principal A2/AD zonesMost of the RuASF’s GBAD andfighter assets are held within someten principal A2/AD zones, with threemore very important zones protectedby RuN GBAD and fighter units.Each of the 45 SAM-equipped

air defence regiments (ADRs)controls between three and fiveprimary systems, or fire units,with multiple target engagementcapability, each of which includesa truck-mounted C2 post, onetargeting and two search radars

and eight to 12 missile launch-ers. The combined RuASF/RuN SAM inventory currentlynumbers 108 active systems.The largest A2/AD zone sur-

rounds Moscow and extendsinto the so-called CentralIndustrial Region (CIR). Otherregions with important militaryand industrial facilities in theEuropean part of Russia includeSt Petersburg, Kaliningradand the Cola Peninsula.There is a cluster of zones in

central Russia (with separate A2/ADzones around Samara, Engles andYekaterinburg), Siberia (Novosibirsk,Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk),southern Russia (Rostov-on-Don,Novorosiisk, Krasnodar and theindependent state of Abkhazia)and the Crimean peninsula.The Russian Far East’s major

A2/AD zones are around theregional capital, Vladivostok, the

Above: A salvo launch of two S-300PM-2 (SA-20 Gargoyle) missiles – with a maximum engagement range of 110nm(200km) – during a large-scale exercise at the Ashuluk range near Astrakhan in southern Russia. Andrey Zinchuk via author

Recapitalisation driveTHE RuASF controls most of the na-

tional air and missile defence system.

It is in the midst of a mass deploymentof new-generation SAM systems with

multi-target engagement capabilities

– and an array of sophisticated 3D air

surveillance radars with ‘anti-stealth’

properties, augmented by long-range

passive aircraft detection and tracking

systems, long-range, high-power micro-

wave (HPM) jammers and highly auto-

mated C2 facilities.

The eventual aim of this expensive

and ambitious programme is to es-

tablish an integrated air and missile

defence system. It should be capable

of undermining the once overwhelm-

ing US air dominance which is based

on stealth and massed use of legacybombers and tactical fighters upgrad-

ed with active electronically scanned

array sensors, which are capable of

deploying stand-off, precision-guided

munitions. The Russian air and missile

defence system is currently said to be

capable of countering low radar cross-section (RCS) unmanned air vehicles

(UAVs) and long-range air- and sea-

launched cruise missiles.

RuASFand Russian Navy (RuN) GBAD

arrays are grouped into 14 air defence

divisions (ADDs), most of which are

subordinated to the four territorial air

and air defence armies assigned to the

existing Military Districts (strategic-lev-

el territorial commands). There is also

at least one ADD assigned to Strategic

Military Command North, established

in December 2014.

A typical RuASF or RuN ADD incor-

porates a C2 facility (with main and

back-up elements), two or three SAMregiments and an early warning ra-

dar regiment, in addition to various

support units. Combined RuASF and

RuN SAM force strength is likely to be

maintained at 45 regiments, including

seven inherited from the Russian Land

Forces (RuLF) in 2007 and equippedwith S-300V (SA-12 Gladiator/Giant)

and Buk-M2 (SA-11 Gadfly) mobile

GBAD systems. Five of the SAM regi-

ments assigned to the national air and

defence system are RuN. The early

warning forces have a total of 18 regi-

ments equipped with long-range 3D air

surveillance radars, three of which are

RuN assets. The GBAD integrates early

warning radars, command posts and

SAM systems via the highly automated

Baikal-1M C2 system, used at the ADD

level; it can control up to eight SAM

regiments, three electronic counter-

measures (ECM) battalions and three

fighter regiments.The system receives processed in-

formation on detected and tracked

targets and their identification friend

or foe (IFF) status, fed from the early

warning radars in its zone of responsi-

bility and neighbouring zones; it then

applies the further processing requiredfor decision-making.

Based on the ‘big picture’ and threats

identify, the commanding officer con-

ducts risk assessment and target distri-

bution among the deployed SAM regi-

ments to provide the best engagement

conditions. The system can handle

up to 500 air targets and feed target-

ing data to 24 SAM systems and three

fighter regiments.

The fighter assets in each of the four

air and air defence armies, and Stra-

tegic Military Command North, are

grouped into 11 fighter aviation regi-

ments. Each comprises an independ-

ent squadron and a fighter aviationcombat training centre and is assigned

to perform the air defence mission in

the integrated national air and missile

defence system.



industrial centres at Khabarovskand Komsomolsk-on-Amur andthe remote Kamchatka Peninsula.The military is establishing

bases in the frozen north, beyondthe Arctic Circle. These will

have an integral GBAD elementcomprising S-400 and Pantsir-S1SAM systems. The first S-400 isexpected to be deployed to NovaZemlya island early in 2016,while the Pantsir-S1 (SA-22Greyhound) has already beendeployed to the new base onKotelniy Island in the deep Arctic.Together with the adjacent

CIR – an area stretching from theBelarusian border in the west tothe city of Vladimir in the east, andfrom Tula in the south to Yaroslavlin the north – the Moscow A2/

AD zone is packed with the mostmodern and capable anti-air andanti-missile assets in Russia.They are grouped into three air

defence divisions (for a total of 12SAM regiments and three earlywarning radar regiments), com-plemented by a dedicated missiledefence division. Two fighterregiments support the Moscow-CIR A2/AD zone’s GBAD element,stationed at Kursk-Khalino andKhotilovo; the former controls twoMiG-29SMT/UBT squadrons andthe latter two MiG-31BM/BSMsquadrons and a Su-27 unit.An Su-27SM squadron is planned

to be stationed at Bobruysk orBaranovichi airfield in Belarusduring 2016 in a bid to furtherstrengthen the outer layer ofthe Moscow-CIR air defencebelt; the arrangement is yetto be agreed with the Belarusauthorities. The Moscow-CIR

Above: The Nebo-M 55Zh6M is a sophisticated ‘anti-stealth’ radar system equippingRussian GBAD units. It has an array of three truck-mounted radars using sensorfusion technology for providing multi-band detection capability. The main VHF system is complemented by two additional modules that work in the L- and S-bands.Right: Russian long-range SAM systems, such as the S-300, acquire theirtargets with their own radar after handover from the control post. Crews thenperform an ID check, select the appropriate missile, monitor its pre-launchpreparation, lock on to the target, fire and guide the missile until its own guidance system takes over in the terminal phase of flight.Below: The Russian military uses the Igla heat-seeking MANPAD as a wide- spread, affordable and effective system for battlefield air defence. Andrey Zinchuk via author

Above: A MiG-29SMT from the 14th Guards IAP, a fighter regiment stationed at Kursk-Khalino, south of Moscow, waits inits QRA revetment. The Fulcrum is armed with two R-27R and two R-73 air-to-air missiles. Andrey Zinchuk via author

‘The Russian air and missile defence system is currently said to be capable of countering low radar cross- section (RCS) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and long-range air- and sea-launched cruise missiles.’

In peacetime, each fighter regiment

holds a four-aircraft flight on quick re-

action alert (QRA) duty for homelandair policing and air defence.

Russian Navy fighter assets in the

national air and missile defence

system include one Sukhoi Su-27

Flanker and one Mikoyan MiG-31 Fox-

hound squadron and a two-squadron

shipborne regiment equipped with

the Su-33, to be complemented in

the foreseeable future by another two-

squadron regiment flying the single-/

twin-seat Mikoyan MiG-29KR/KUBR

Fulcrum.

Fighter reaction time from receiving

the scramble order to take-off is eight

minutes. When aircrews wear high-

altitude pressure suits (required forintercept operations above 39,370ft

(12,000m)), it increases to ten min-

utes, due to the time needed to put

on the cumbersome kit.




air defence zone can also usethe MiG-31BM/BSM instructor/research fighter squadron atSavastleika, northeast of the city.Russia’s second-largest city,

St Petersburg, is another well

defended A2/AD zone, coveredby an ADD that controls twoS-300PS/PM-2 SAM regimentsand one equipped with the S-300Vand Buk-M2. Assets protectingthe zone also include the 159thistrebitel’nyy aviapolk (IAP, fighterregiment) stationed at Besovetsairfield and comprising twoSu-27/Su-30M2 squadrons, oneof which is expected to convertto the new Su-35S in 2016.

The 'bubble'The Crimean peninsula, annexed

by Russia in 2014, was establishedlast December as the latest A2/AD zone. Its air defence ‘bubble’is provided by an ADD and atwo-squadron fighter regiment, the37th IAP, equipped with more than30 Su-27/27SM and Su-30M2long-range fighters and stationedat Belbek airfield near Sevastopol.The Su-27SM3 and Su-30M2

jets of the two-squadron 3rdGuards IAP, stationed at Krymsk inmainland Russia, close to Crimea,can be deployed for the air defenceof the peninsula if required. AnSu-30SM squadron (building toan eventual strength of 12 aircraft)with the 43rd otdel’nyy morskyshturmovoy aviapolk (OMShAP,independent maritime attack airregiment) at Saki in Crimea is also

available to the A2/AD zone.The GBAD element of Crimea’s

A2/AD zone includes two SAMregiments and an early warningradar surveillance regiment.The 12th ZRP (SAM regiment),

equipped with three obsoleteS-300PS systems (SA-10BGrumble), is stationed close tothe strategic city of Sevastopol,home base of the Black Sea Fleet.The second, the 18th ZRP –

stationed at Gvardeyskoye in thepeninsula’s geographic centre – isequipped with three much morecapable S-300PM-2 systemswith a maximum engagementrange of 110nm (200km) whenfired against high-altitude targets.Pantsir-S1 close-in GBAD systemsprotect the SAM batteries.

Kaliningrad’s A2/AD zone encom-passes the entire KaliningradOblast, a territory isolated fromthe rest of Russia. Encircled byNATO member states Poland andLithuania, the exclave is the mostheavily militarised area in Russia,with the densest military infra-structure in Europe, and includesthe largest Baltic Fleet base.The RuN provides the zone’s

GBAD assets, comprising the183rd ZRP SAM regiment,equipped with two S-400 Triumphsystems for a total of 16 launchersplus an S-300PM-2 Favouritesystem with 12 launchers.The S-400s are stationed at

Gvardeysk in the exclave’s centre.They are scheduled to be equippedwith the 40NE6 ultra-long-range

Above:The S-300PM-2’s target engagement radar, designated the 30N6E2,is known in the West as Flap Lid. It can track 12 targets simultaneously andengage six of them, with two missiles guided on each.Right: The S-300V4’s new M82M missile, fired from twin-round launchers, has aclaimed range of up to 216nm (400km) against high-altitude targets.



Russian Land Forces air defenceThe RuLF’s air defence system

provides all-altitude protection to de-

ployed units at all levels from brigade

and battalion to division and army.

The air defence branch is equipped

with a multitude of highly mobile

SAM and AAA systems, all installedon tracked or wheeled chassis and

provided with armour protection for

their crews.

In addition to the permanent A2/

AD zones established by the RuASF

and RuN, the RuLF’s GBAD arrays

have the capability to establish large

permanent or temporary defensive

‘bubbles’, protecting the front line,

the rear echelons and important

military facilities thanks to their

S-300V and S-400V4 (SA-23) long-

and ultra-long range anti-aircraft/

anti-missile systems.

These are augmented by numerous

SAM regiments equipped with Buk-M2 and -M3 medium-range SAMs.

The motorised infantry and tank

regiments and divisions are also well

equipped with an array of mobile,

low-level GBAD assets including the

Tor-M1 and -M2 (SA-15 Gauntlet ),

Strela-10M (SA-13 Gopher ) and

Osa-AKM (SA-8 Gecko) SAMs, the

Tunguska-M SAM/AAA system

(SA-19 Grison), ZSU-23-4 Shilka

self-propelled AAA system and Iglaand Verba man-portable air defence

(MANPAD) systems.

All these air defence systems are

closely integrated into the structure

and battle formations of the land

forces’ divisions, brigades, regiments

and battalions. The Almaz-Antey

S-300V4, introduced in 2014, is

the latest RuLF SAM system. It is

capable of countering intermediate-

and short-range ballistic missiles,

including the Lockheed Martin MGM-

140/-164/-168 Army Tactical Missile

System, in addition to manned and

unmanned aircraft at all altitudes.

The system uses two types of mis-sile. The smaller 9M83M, launched

from four-round tracked launchers

fitted with their own tracking and

missile guidance radar, can reach

targets at up to 54nm (100km)

range. A much larger missile,

dubbed ‘40N6’ and fired from twin-

round launchers, has a maximum

speed equating to Mach 7.4 and its

range extends to 216nm (400km)

when fired against high-altitudetargets such as the E-3, E-8 J-STARS,

U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk.

The first successful test at maximum

range was reported in November 2014

and in March 2015 it was commis-

sioned into Russian military service.

The SA-23’s extended range engage-

ment capability is aimed at degrading

an opponent’s ability to exercise ef-

fective command and control over its

air assets during mass strikes against

ground troops on the battlefield and

rear areas, as well as efforts to con-

duct ISR and jamming from stand-off

ranges. In such situations, the RuLF’s

remaining GBAD assets, tailored forlow-to-medium altitude interceptions,

would work in optimal conditions for

defeating enemy attacks.

Each S-300V4 system can track

up to 200 targets and engage 24

simultaneously, at altitudes between

82,000ft and 98,400ft (25,000m

and 30,000m); two missiles can be

guided to each target. The system

uses combined command and radar

guidance methods, with the missile’sSARH seeker switched on during the

terminal phase of the intercept; it

also has a home-on-jamming mode

for use against electronic aircraft

operating at stand-off ranges.

When engaging targets at longer

ranges, the missile uses inertial guid-

ance in the initial and mid phases

of flight and SARH or home-on-jam-

ming in the terminal phase.

The older S-300V SAM system

currently equips four brigades and

one regiment, while the enhanced

S-300V4 was ordered in 2012 in

quantities sufficient to equip four

brigades, each with three systems.The first full system (with three fully-

equipped batteries) was handed over

to the RuLF in December 2014 and

the second in July 2015.

missile, perhaps from early2016, enabling them to engagehigh-altitude targets across morethan half of Poland’s airspace, allof Lithuania’s, half of Latvia’s andin a wide zone over the Baltic.

The S-400 and S-300PM-2systems forming the KaliningradA2/AD zone are capable ofsimultaneously engaging 26air and ballistic missile-typetargets. The RuN also suppliesthe Kaliningrad A2/AD zone’sfighter assets – a single Su-27squadron at Chkalovsk airfield,which is scheduled to convert tothe much more capable Su-30SM.The Kola Peninsula, home of

Russia’s Northern Fleet with its bal-listic missile-armed nuclear subma-rines, has an A2/AD zone with three

RuN SAM regiments, one of whichis equipped with the S-400 andS-300PM-2 and the other two withS-300PM-2 and S-300PS systems.The air defence bubble over the

region’s important military instal-lations is enhanced by a fighterforce comprising one MiG-31BMsquadron from the RuASF’s 98thSAP at Monchegorsk and theSu-33s of the Navy’s two-squadron279th korabel’nyy istrebitel’nyyaviapolk (KIAP, shipborne fighterregiment) at Severomorsk-3 nearMurmansk (two MiG-29KR/KUBRsquadrons of a newly formed regi-ment will join them in early 2016).The Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumph

is a new-generation mobile SAMsystem developed in the late 1990sand early 2000s. It was formally

Above: An Su-27 from the 159th IAPat Besovets, St Petersburg, deployedto Rogachevo airfield on Novaya Zem- lya Island, far inside the Polar Circle.This was the first deployment to the island as part of a large-scale exerciseof Russian forces in September 2012. Andrey Zinchuk a rchive via author

Right: This non-upgraded Su-27Flanker serves with the 159th IAP, afighter regiment stationed at Besovetsand tasked with the air defence of StPetersburg. The squadrons work inpartnership with four SAM regiments. Andrey Zinchuk a rchive via author

Left: A self-propelled launcher forthe S-400 SAM. The 92N6E targetengagement radar, dubbed Grave

Stone by NATO, can be seen behind it. Almaz Antey via author




commissioned into RuASF servicein April 2007, with the first fireunit of the 606th Guards ZRP.Stationed in positions near thecity of Elektrostal, 22nm (40km)east of Moscow, it was placed onQRA duty in August that year.The S-400 can fire several types

of missile from its self-propelled,four-round launcher units.This enables the system’scommanding officer to selectthe most appropriate weapon,depending on the specific targetindicated for engagement bythe regimental C2 post.Available missiles include the

new medium-range 9M96 andlong-range 40NE6 as well as theexisting missile of the S-300PM-1system, designated 48N6E, andthe S-300PM-2’s 48N6E2.The 9M96 has an active radar

seeker and comes in two sub-versions, the 9M96E with a 22nm(40km) range and 9M96E2 with a65nm (120km) range. Operatingaltitude is between 16,000ft and66,660ft (5,000m and 20,000m)

for the former, and 16,000ft and99,000ft (5,000m and 30,000m)for the latter. The M96-series mis-siles are highly manoeuvrable in theterminal phase of flight, better ena-bling a direct hit, an important con-sideration against ballistic missiles.The 40NE6 missile is promoted

as being able to hit aircraft-type(aerodynamic) targets at up to216nm (400km) range, whileballistic missiles can be engagedat up to 33nm (60km). The40NE6’s target altitude is between32,800ft and 88,560ft (10,000mand 27,000m) for aircraft-typetargets while ballistic missiles,travelling at a speed of up to4,800m/s (15,755ft/s), can beengaged at between 6,560ft and22,960ft (2,000m and 7,000m).Reports suggest that initial

full-scale 40N6E testing wassuccessfully completed at theKapustin Yar firing range in June 2014. The missile has adual-mode radar seeker workingin either active radar homing(ARH) or semi-active radar homing

(SARH) modes. This enables the40N6E to perform independenttarget search after launch (usinginertial guidance in the initialand mid phases of flight) whenengaging targets at extremely longranges, its seeker working in theARH mode in the terminal phase.

Target acquiredIn this case, initial missile guid-ance is based on preliminarytargeting cues received from theregimental C2 facility (which usesradar information provided bylong-range VHF radars, includ-ing the Nebo-U), followed bylock-on of the missile’s seeker,because the launch system’s92N6 Grave Stone targetingradar is unable to track the targetand provide reliable commandguidance at such long ranges.An S-400 fire unit comprises a C2

post, target engagement radar, twotarget search radars and eight four-round launchers loaded with asmany as five different missile types.Such a system can engage up to

ten targets simultaneously with20 missiles, fired in salvoes of twoagainst each target for improvedkill probability. The transitionfrom travel mode to launch-readystate is just five to ten minutes.By 2012, the RuASF had two

S-400 regiments deployed in the

defence of Moscow, the 606th and210th, at Elektrostal and Dmitrovrespectively. Each had two S-400systems, while one another wasequipped with the S-300PM2.Two more S-400 regimentswere added in 2013 and 2015,stationed at Zvenigorod (93rdZRP) and Kurilovo (549th ZRP)– again with two systems each.During 2012, S-400 regiments

were also deployed to theKaliningrad exclave and Nakhodka(589th ZRP), just north ofVladivostok on the Pacific coast.In 2013, two more S-400 systemswere taken on strength by the SAMregiment in Novorossiysk (1573rdZRP) on the Black Sea coast.By early 2015, the RuASF and

RuN had 19 S-400 systems,

Above: The MiG-31 Foxhound, powered by two Aviadvigatel D-30F-6turbofans, each rated at 152.06kN(34,171lb st) with afterburner, isa huge, heavyweight fighter withrestricted manoeuvrability, optimisedfor intercepting cruise missiles andlow-level strike aircraft.Left: The Krasukha-4 is a high-powerdigital radio-frequency jammingsystem primarily intended for the airdefence coverage of military sites.It generates radar jamming waveswhich disrupt the radars of strike andreconnaissance aircraft.

Right: No fewer than 70 non-upgradedor so-called ‘vanilla’ Su-27s equip fivesquadrons tasked with QRA duty withinthe integrated air and missile defencesystem, controlled by the RuASF. Andrey Zinchuk a rchive via author



grouped in nine SAM regiments,with an inventory of 19 targetingradars and 159 launchers.In April, the Russian GBAD

system took on strength its ninthair defence regiment equippedwith the SA-21 Growler . Basedat Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

in Kamchatka Peninsula, theRuN’s 1532nd ZRP was first to

field three S-400 firing units, withan inventory of three targetingradars and 24 launchers, capableof simultaneously engaging30 targets. It is tasked with airdefence of the large Pacific Fleetbase at Vilychinsk, which housesballistic missile-armed nuclear

submarines, and the importantnaval aviation base at Yelizovo.

In March, another RuN SAM regi-ment, the 531st ZRP at Polyarny inthe Kola Peninsula, was reportedto have been re-equipped with theS-400 and put on QRA duty. InSeptember a tenth SAM regiment,the 590th ZRP at Novosibirsk,reportedly took two S-400

systems, and another RuN S-400regiment was planned for deploy-

ment at Nova Zemlya island, deepinside Russia’s Arctic territories,late this year or early in 2016.Russia’s State Armament

Programme 2020 foresees theprocurement of a total of 56S-400 systems (sufficient for 24to 27 regiments). All S-300PS,

S-300PM-2 and S-400 GBADunits undergo intensive trainingfor rapid relocation from one firingposition to another to avoid airstrikes, since the deployed systemsrepresent large, soft targets.During relocation the vehicle

columns are protected from airattack by Pantsir-S1 self-propelledSAM/AAA systems. Capable offiring on the move or during shortstops, they can launch SAMs withcommand guidance at a maxi-mum range of 10nm (18km) andeach vehicle has two 30mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) pieces with amaximum range of 2.2nm (4km).The highly mobile Pantsir-S1 uses

a wheeled chassis and is primarilyintended to protect main SAM posi-tions against so-called ‘leakers’

Above: Since mid-2015, Su-33s of the 279th KIAP have been tasked with QRA duty at their home base, Severomorsk-3,covering Kola Peninsula – an area full of military installations belonging to the Northern Fleet, including nuclear subma- rine bases. Andrey Zinchuk archive via author

‘During relocation the vehicle columns are protected from air attack by Pantsir-S1 self-propelled SAM/AAA systems.’

New radarsRussian early warning and air

surveillance capabilities are being

upgraded through the introduction

of 3D radars and the Fundament-2

data processing facility, which fuses

radar data gathered by numerous

heads and feeds it to ADD and

fighter regiment C2 facilities.

The Nebo-U is the new radar type

and by late 2014 as many as nine

units were operational. It is set

to become the backbone of the

RuASF’s air surveillance system.

The giant Nebo-U mobile VHF

radar has a 100ft-wide (30m)

antenna with active electronic

scanning array. Its maximum high-

altitude detection range is 216nm

(400km), while at low-altitudes

(1,600ft [500m]) it can see targets

at up to 38nm (70km). A deriva-tive of Nebo-U, Nebo-M (55Zh6M),

has been ordered to re-equip some

GBAD units. A mobile system

mounted on four trucks, it features

two additional active scanning ar-

ray modules mounted on individual

chassis and integrated with the

core VHF system (dubbed RLM-M)

to provide a multi-band detection

capability through sensor fusion.

The first of these modules works in

the decametric wavelength (L-band)

and is dubbed RLM-D. The second

works in the centimetric wavelength

(S-band) and is known as RLM-S;

the system also has an IFF inter-rogator, installed on the command

truck. Nebo-M’s maximum detec-

tion range against high-altitude tar-

gets extends to 324nm (600km).




– aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles andstand-off precision-guided weaponsthat have penetrated the S-400’sdefensive ‘umbrella’ to attack thelaunch position or defended target.Each S-400 regiment typically

has an integral fire unit equippedwith six Pantsir-S1 systems.

Improved airborneearly warningThe RuASF has a useful radarcoverage gap-filling capabilitythrough the Beriev A-50 and A-50UMainstay airborne early warningand control (AEW&C) aircraft basedat Ivanovo, north of Moscow.Equipped with the 1980s-vintage

360-degree Shmel-M centimetrewavelength radar system, theA-50 is officially capable of detect-

ing bomber- and transport-sizedaircraft at high altitude at 350nm(650km) and fighters at 124nm(230km) at low altitude – and162nm (300km) when flyinghigh. Cruise missiles with anRCS of 1m2 (10.76sq ft) can bedetected at up to 116nm (215km).The Shmel-M system is said

to be capable of tracking 140targets while its fighter controllersmanage up to 12 interceptors,issuing data-linked targetinginformation or voice commands toguide them onto assigned targets.The upgraded A-50U has a

more powerful radar for opera-tion against a greatly expandedtarget set, including low-flyingand hovering helicopters as wellas low-RCS crewed aircraft, cruisemissiles and UAVs; it also worksreliably under dense jamming.In addition, more powerful

processors and new softwareenable detection and tracking of

Above: The A-50 is a highly prized RuASF asset that compensates, whenever needed, for the lack of continuous ground radar coverage in Russia’s vast far northernterritories. In such situations this AEW&C system is used as a stopgap and directs intercept missions for Russia’s long-range fighters. Andrey Zinchuk archive via author

Above: The Buk-M2 (SA-11 Gadfly) medium-range SAM is capable of hitting fighter-size targets at up to 23nm (42km)range at high altitude. The system equips army regiments that are closely integrated into the structure of tank andmechanised armoured divisions.


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targets flying tail-on relative to theA-50U at much greater rangesthan was previously possible. Anew jam-proof communicationsuite has turned the enhancedMainstay into a complete

battle management system.Operating within the national

air defence system, the A-50 andA-50U mainly fill gaps in radarcoverage, operating over remoteareas that lack reliable ground-based radar coverage and control-ling MiG-31, Su-27, Su-30 andSu-35S long-range interceptors.The A-50U can also downlink

processed targeting informationto the S-300PM-2 and S-400SAM systems, a particularly usefulfeature when countering massraids at low and ultra-low level.

According to Russian sources, aS-300PM-2 receiving targetinginformation from an A-50Usuccessfully engaged cruisemissiles at ultra-low level overranges exceeding 22nm (40km).The first A-50U is reported to have

attained operational capability inFebruary 2012 and in late 2015the RuASF had three in activeservice (another is expected to betaken on strength in early 2016).

ECM and passivedetectionRussia’s GBAD assets are alsoset to have a comprehensiveanti-air ECM capability throughthe ongoing introduction ofnew-generation mobile jammersystems, including the KRETKrasukha-2 and Krasukha-4rapid-reaction electronic attack(EA) systems.These are designed to blind the

radars and other electronic sys-

tems of tactical aircraft and couldalso disrupt the radar systems ofthe E-3 AWACS and E-2 Hawkeye.The Russian electronic attack

(EA) effort is aimed at reducingthe capabilities of entire strike

packages – rendering them morevulnerable to SAM arrays and theRuASF’s long-legged interceptors– by downgrading or closing downtheir sophisticated weapons con-trol and communication systems.Since the late 1990s the Russian

military has also been working tomaster the comprehensive useof various types of GPS jammer,intended to disrupt aircraft naviga-tion and the guidance systems ofthe GPS/INS stand-off munitionswidely employed by the West.Passive radio-frequency detection

and tracking systems, exploitingthe active emissions of air targetsentering an A2/AD zone, alsodeliver a weighty operationaladvantage when integrated withthe other early warning sensorsof the wide-area GBAD assets.Anti-radar missiles cannot targetthe new-generation passive detec-tion systems now being fielded,including the KRET Moskva-1 andDefensive Systems Avtobasa-M,since they are emission-free.These systems detect air targets

at long ranges and deliver reason-able tracking and position data.In principle, emission control

is the only method to counterpassive detection systems, but ina real-world situation it would betoo difficult to implement. Evenwith their TACAN, radar and radaraltimeter switched off, and flyingin radio silence, many modernWestern tactical aircraft rely heavilyon the extensive use of the Link

16 military tactical data exchangenetwork to transfer tactical infor-mation during combat missions.Only the stealthy F-22 features

a receive-only data link capability,but it is likely to gain an emitting

capability in future. All intelligence,surveillance and reconnais-sance (ISR) and attack UAVsconstantly emit radio frequencyenergy because they rely onsophisticated two-way data linksto receive control inputs anddownlink data gathered by theirsensor packages in near-real time.The large Russian SAM systems,

with their truck-mounted C2posts, search and targetingradars and cluster of launchersgathered at a firing position, wouldbe easily detectable by enemy

ELINT sensors, making themvulnerable to anti-radar missiles.To reduce their vulnerability,

modern systems are designedfor high mobility, stopping,setting up to fire, firing andthen rapidly disappearing.An array of decoys protects SAMs

deployed in permanent positions.These emit signals similar tothose of the system’s radars andare designed to attract anti-radarmissiles. The new long-range SAMpositions are also protected by therapid-reaction, close-in Panstir-S1– with the Morfey SAM system.The SAM regiments also use

inflatable rubber decoys furnishedwith emitters to simulate as far aspossible the SAM system’s arrayof infrared and radio frequencysignatures, creating realistic fakeinstallations. It highlights how themilitaries of both the east and westcontinue to play a game ofhigh octane cat and mouse.

Below: The OSA-AKM is a low-to-medium altitude self-propelled SAM system with a range of up to 5.4nm (10km), opti- mised for air defence of forces positioned on the forward edge of the battlefield or on the move towards it.

Future GBADdevelopmentsBased on analysis of US military

operations since Desert Storm in

1991, Russian air defence expertsagree that future high-intensity

conflicts will begin with mass air

strikes. High-ranking Russian

officials expressed concern that,

the US is spending considerable

amounts of money in a bid to

gain a significant edge in its

offensive capabilities through the

fielding of space-based strike

assets.

As Maj Gen Viktor Gumenniy,

head of what was then the

Russian Air Force’s Air and Missile

Defence Branch, noted in April

2013, the main directions for the

development of the GBAD systemrequired capabilities to counter

modern and prospective future

aircraft and missiles, including

those attacking from space.

Russian military officials and the

defence media suggest that UScapability to mount devastating

strikes across the globe using

hypersonic weapons will be

achieved in the foreseeable

future, prompting the Russians

to make hefty investments in the

development of new generation

GBAD technologies able to

counter such threats.

The new-generation S-500

Prometey (Prometheus) ultra-

long range SAM system, currently

in development at Almaz-Antey,

is expected to be procured in

numbers sufficient to equip as

many as ten SAM regiments, withfirst deliveries expected in 2017

at the earliest.

The S-500 is claimed to have

previously unknown capabilities

against targets flying in the

atmosphere and lower levels

of space – as well as tactical,

intermediate-range and

intercontinental ballistic missiles

in the terminal phases of their

trajectory.

The new system is said to

be capable of simultaneously

engaging up to ten aircraft or

ballistic missiles, hypersonic

vehicles and re-entry warheads.It also has a potential capability

against intercontinental ballistic

missiles in the terminal and mid-

stage of their ballistic arc.

afm

‘To reduce their vulnerability, modern systems are designed for high mobility, swiftly changing position, stopping, setting up to fire, firing and then rapidly disappearing if imminent enemy attacks are expected.’

‘GBAD systemrequired capabilitiesto counter modernand prospective futureaircraft and missiles,including thoseattacking from space.’

russia's national air defence system

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