The Soviet Union created a variety of long-wave radar systems during the Cold War, some of which were known for their performance and usefulness. Here are some of these Soviet-made long-wave radar systems:
1.duga) series: Also known as:"Wooden bars"(woodpecker), is an over-the-horizon radar system that detects enemy missile launches. The system consists of two stations, chernobyl in Ukraine and Krasnoznamensk in Russia). This system is known for its characteristic clicking sound in the short-wave band, including long-wave"Wooden bars"。
2.-270 p-270 moskva): Also called"вор"(voronezh), an early warning radar system used to monitor air targets, especially enemy aircraft and missiles. This radar system covers several bands, including long waves.
3.-14 P-14 Typhoon): is an early warning radar that was also used to detect enemy aircraft and missiles. The design of this radar system has multi-band characteristics, including long waves.
4.-35 (P-35): A three-dimensional early warning radar system developed and deployed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. There are different variants of the P-35 system, some of which may include long-wave bands.
These radar systems played an important strategic role during the Cold War, using them to monitor and track potential air threats. However, due to the secrecy of its performance and features, some specific technical details may remain unknown. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and technological development, some relevant information has gradually become public.
The Soviet Union built and deployed large long-wave radars for several reasons:
1.Long-range detection: Long-wave radars have better penetration at lower frequencies, being able to penetrate the atmosphere and travel to greater distances. This made long-wave radars suitable for long-range target detection, especially on large land areas, such as in the vast territory of the USSR.
2.Fight against high-altitude targets: Long-wave radars have certain advantages when fighting high-altitude targets, such as aircraft and missiles. In the atmosphere, long-wave radar has a longer wavelength and is better able to detect high-altitude targets, which helps to detect potential air threats in advance.
3.Fighting low, slow and small targets: Long-wave radar also performs relatively well against low, slow and small targets (such as small aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, etc.). Due to the longer wavelength of long-wave radar, the resolution against small-sized targets is relatively high.
4.Anti-interference: Long-wave radar is more resistant to electronic interference in some specific environments. This makes long-wave radars relatively more reliable in the face of electronic warfare threats.
5.Radar stealth: Long-wave radars are generally more difficult to counter than short-wave radars. During the Cold War, the USSR may have paid more attention to the stealth performance of radars in order to increase the survivability of radar systems.
It should be noted that although long-wave radars have advantages in some aspects, they also have some limitations, such as relatively low resolution, poor target positioning accuracy, etc. Therefore, in the design of modern radar systems, radars of different wavelength bands are usually considered comprehensively to achieve more comprehensive target detection and tracking capabilities.
Large Soviet-made radar systems, especially the DUGA family of radars, have led to a number of global radio jamming incidents. This series of events is often referred to as "timber" interference. Here are two of the famous radio interference incidents:
1.1 (duga-1): Also known as:"Wooden bars"(woodpecker), which was part of the Soviet over-the-horizon radar system. This system caused worldwide radio interference between 1976 and 1989. "Wooden bars"The operating frequency is mainly located in the shortwave band, but also includes the longwave band. Due to its unusual clicking sound, it is widely perceived by amateur radio enthusiasts around the globe.
Interference from this system caused interference to radio communications and broadcasting, especially in the shortwave band. Radio amateurs and radio stations report that at a particular time and frequency,"Wooden bars"This leads to disruption and interference of the broadcast signal.
2.Duga-3 (3): This is part of the Duga family and is an over-the-horizon radar system that is primarily used for early missile warning. The Duga-3 system is deployed in places such as Chernobyl in Ukraine and Krasnoznamensk in Russia. This system caused worldwide radio interference in the early 80s of the 20th century.
In some cases, the work of DUGA-3 caused interference in broadcasting and communication systems on the shortwave band. This interference has had a certain impact on international radiocommunication and broadcasting, which has given rise to a number of complaints and investigations.
The worldwide radio interference events caused by the two DUGA family radar systems have shown that while these radar systems may have been effective for military use during the Cold War, their operation also had some negative effects on radio communications. With the end of the Cold War, the DUGA family of radar systems gradually ceased to operate, reducing global radio interference.