The deployment of troops in the Arctic began in December last year with the dispatch of electronic warfare units, while work began on the construction of the radar network at the town of Vortuka, north of the polar circle.
Russia plans to complete the Arctic radar detection network within the 2018. Four class "Voronezh" radar stations are already active. Two class "Voronezh" model "DM" radars, six thousand kilometers of discovery with the ability to simultaneously trace 500 targets, are fully active in the territory of Krasnodar and in the Leningrad region. Radar stations in the Kaliningrad and Irkutsk regions are undergoing functional tests.
"Voronezh" radars can be quickly redistributed and require a reduced crew, compared to the previous generation. Russia will put into service seven "Voronezh" class radars in the next five years. The new radars will replace the obsolete "Dnepr" and "Daryal" class systems.
The importance of the Arctic
Moscow's design also includes a fully automated air defense radar capable of detecting all kinds of threats, including cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft, at a maximum distance of 3 000 kilometers. The automated early warning radar, dubbed "Container", will cover most of Europe. Since 2 last December, the system is being tested at the city of Kovylkino. Unless unexpectedly, it could become fully operational by the end of the 2015. Specifications, number of radar stations and location are covered by military secrecy.
Franco Iacch
(photo: Russian Presidency)
