Russia deploys third Rezonans-N radar to monitor Arctic
The Russian Defense Ministry has deployed a third Rezonans-N radar station in the Russian Arctic. The station, situated in the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, will begin active service in November this year, the TASS news agency reports, citing Ivan Nazarenko, director of the Rezonans Scientific Research Center.
According to TASS, the radar station is capable of detecting cruise and ballistic missiles, hypersonic targets flying at up to Mach 20, and even stealth aircraft. The station has already been activated and configured, and is ready for combat use. An inter-departmental commission in the region is currently preparing to transfer the station to the anti-air defense of Russia’s North Fleet.
“To date, the Russian military has acquired four Rezonans-N stations, a fifth is in the completion stage. Two stations are already carrying out combat duty tasks. The task of all the radar stations is to cover the northern area in the Arctic,” said Nazarenko.
The UHF Rezonans-N radar system can detect, identify and provide targeting information for aerodynamic targets up to 600 km away, ballistic targets up to 1,200 km away, and at altitudes of up to 100 km. A unique characteristic of the system is its lack of rotating antenna: it obtains a circular view of space electronically, which improves the reliability of the detectors, lengthens their lifespans and reduces power consumption. The radar station has been especially modified to operate in Arctic conditions.
The Russian military first started using Rezonans-N radars five years ago.