S-300 & S-400 radars. A truly headache!

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Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 1,245

It is quite confusing to follow the lineage of radars of this SAM family. :confused:
Several radar systems for several, sometimes overlapping, tasks are available. In addition, given radar can be integrated to different systems (i.e. PMU1 and PMU2) and so on. AFAIK, that follows is the radars system evolution.

Target tracking radar for aerial targets:

- 5N66 Tin Shield (out of production)

Target tracking radar for CM:

- Clam-shell (out of production).

Multipurpose target tracking radars:

- 64N6 Big Bird --> 91N6 BigBird
- 96L6 Chesse Board
- 59N6 Protivnik GE

Multipurpose AESA target tracking radars:

- 67N6 Gamma DE

Target engagement radar:

- 5N63 Flap Lid -->30N6 TombStone --> 92N6 GraveStone

Long Wave radars:

- Nevo SV --> Nevo SVU

Corrections and links to data for those radars are greatly welcomed.

Original post

Member for

24 years 8 months

Posts: 6,409

Target acquisition radars are not exactly tightly knit into the system. Just about anything can be passed to the target tracking and missile guidance radar (Flap Lid), while the target acquisition radars in theory, can also pass initial tracks to non S-300 systems, so they can be utilized more in a general sense. The really tight knit part involves the target engagement radar (30N6E Flap Lid). That's the one important identifying component. Having multiple target acquisition radars means the system is versatile enough to take its initial tracks from anything, including AEW aircraft.

Do note that both target acquisition and target engagement radars are capable of independent tracking on their own so I don't want to use the phrase target tracking.

Member for

18 years 4 months

Posts: 1,245

I understand now. The hard job correspond to the engagement radar but many systems can acquire targets to feed the system with initial data and cue the Flap Lid (and son on radars) to engage and intercept. So, we can consider the late S-300 & S-400 like a sort of "plug and play" system.:eek:

Member for

19 years

Posts: 690

I understand now. The hard job correspond to the engagement radar but many systems can acquire targets to feed the system with initial data and cue the Flap Lid (and son on radars) to engage and intercept. So, we can consider the late S-300 & S-400 like a sort of "plug and play" system.:eek:

Target data would be passed on by Command-Control posts like the "Polyana" for example (or similar) which can get it from a variety of sources.

Member for

24 years 8 months

Posts: 12,009

5N66 is an early CLAM SHELL model, later versions were 76N6. 36D6 is TIN SHIELD. CHEESE BOARD is not an official codename.

The S-300/400 complexes are controlled by a central control post:
-for S-300P: 5N83
-for S-300PM: 83M6
-For S-400: 30K6

Each complex has a command post and a battle management radar of the BIG BIRD family. They can formulate target tracks for assignment to engagement radars, and can also accept inputs from other radar sources as well.