History of Soviet Fighter Radars
Now, a history of soviet fighter sights.
The Soviets first gyro gun sight (mechanical range calculator) was the ASP developed during the end years of WWII, possibly from captured German EZ40 or EZ41 sights, these replaced the reflector sights and gyro sights like the ASP-3N would prove successful with the MiG-9, MiG-15 and La-15 in various conflicts.
The soviets first aircraft radar was the Gneiss-2 in 1942 for use on Pe-2.
In 1947 the soviets had seen the advantages of radar in WWII and understood that speed was going to define future aircraft, so sent a request to the OKB for an all weather supersonic interceptor, it wouldn't be until nearly a decade later that a production basic all weather supersonic fighter was produced with the MiG-19P in 1953 with it entering production in 1955.
We have various 1st Generation Radars developed for jet fighters utilised throughout the 40s and 50s for the Uragan-1 ground based IADS (Similar to US SAGE) including Toriy for La-200 in 1948, Korshun for I-320 and Su-9-49 in 1949, Almaz for I-3U and T-3 in 1956, Almaz for I-7U and Uragan-1 for P-1 in 1957, RP-21 for MiG-21PF and TsD-30 for Su-9 in 1958, TsP-1 radar for Ye-150 in 1959, Ye-151 and Ye-152 in 1960.
Whilst these radars weren't successful in being used on mass produced fighters, they proved fully functional and they lead to the soviets first rangefinder radar which was the SRD-1 that was created for use with the ASP-5N gun sight for the I-340 prototype in 1950, which would eventually evolve into the MiG-19 with the RP-1 Izumrud.
There was also the SRD-3 rangefinding radar linked to ASP-4N gun sight utilised in 1953 for the MiG-17 that was reverse engineered in 1951 from a captured AN/APG-30 rangefinder radar from a downed F-86.
The Soviets first mass produced production basic fire control radar (Generation 1) for a supersonic fighter was the RP-1 Izumrud in 1953 for the MiG-19P which allowed single engagement. This was followed on with the Almaz for Su-9, Granat for Su-11, and RP-5 Sokol for MiG-17PF and MiG-19PF throughout the 50s ending with the potent Sapfir for MiG-21PF in 1958.
In 1960 the soviets developed their first proper 2nd Generation monopulse multimode fire control radar which had single target ACM and PPI search with the Sapfir-21 and Smerch in 1960 for the Tu-28 and MiG-21PF, followed by the Sapfir-21S and Smerch-A1 in 1964 for the MiG-21S and MiG-25P, the Taifun in 1967 for the Su-15T, the Sapfir-23 in 1968 for the MiG-23S and the Sapfir-22M and Taifun-M in 1969 for the MiG-21bis and Su-15TM.
In 1968 the Soviets started developing a 2+ Generation Radar with LDSD and enhanced ECCM to go with their new Interceptor that had better maneuverability intended to be fully capable of interception but capable of dogfighting with the MiG-23 however there was development delays and it wasn't until 1970 that the N003 Sapfir-23D monopulse digital MTI radar that had LDSD and ECCM was ready and this was utilised on the MiG-23M which was approved for production in 1972 and entered service in 1974. Non MTI Sapfir-23 models were used on early MiG-23s and export models of MiG-23Ms and MiG-23MLs
These were followed with the enhanced Smerch-M, N006 Sapfir-23P, N005 Sapfir-23ML, N005 Sapfir-23MLA, and RP-25 Sapfir-25 throughout the 70s and 80s for Tu-128M, MiG-23ML, MiG-23MLA, MiG-25PD.
The soviets first production 3rd generation radar was the N007 Zaslon made in 1977 which was a digital electronically steered PESA antenna with a slotted planar array which utilised full LDSD, enhanced ECCM, multi track and lock and full TWS, it entered production in 1979 and entered service in 1980.
Then there was the experimental Sintez-10 with a mechanically steered slotted planar array developed in the late 70s for the T-10 and T-29 but rejected due to costs and time.
This was followed with the N001 Mech and N019 Rubin digital pulse doppler radars, that utilise electronically steered long chord twist cassegrain arrays, in 1979 for the MiG-29 and 1983 for the Su-27 which entered service in 1982 and 1985.
In the late 80s Soviets created the 3+ gen N019M Topaz and then the N001V Mech-V for Su-27s and MiG-29S , this would continue throughout the 90s with Russia building the N019MP Topaz-MP for export MiG-29s then the N001VEP Mech-VEP for the new Su-27SMs and for some Su-30MKKs or export Su-27s
In 1985 the Soviets created their first 4th Generation Radar which is fully digital with the N007M Zaslon-M which was an electronically steered PESA with PSP, fully digital antenna, LPI and a slotted planar array for use on the MiG-31M which first flew in 1985. N010 Zhuk for Yak-141 and MiG-29M models in 1986. N011 Bars in 1987 which were both mechanically and electronically steered pulse doppler slotted planar arrays and Leninets V004 in 1990 which was an electronically steered PESA with a slotted planar array for the Su-27M, Su-32 and Su-30 being trialled in late 80s and early 90s.
Then the N011M Bars-M 4+ radar for upgraded Su-30s, then BARS-130 in 2000s for the Yak-130 which is a fully digital PESA system with a slotted planar array, this was followed by the N007AM Zaslon-AM in 2008 for the MiG-31BM which was based on the earlier N007M and this was followed by the N011 Bars-29 and N010M Zhuk-M for export MiG-29As then the N001VE Pero for export su27 and su30s.
This would be followed throughout the 2000s with the RP-35, N010M Zhuk-M for MiG-29K and N031 Zhuk-MSF, Zhuk-27 and Zhuk-MFE
The first Russian 5th Generation Radar was the FGA-01 Zhuk-A in 2002 which was Russia's first AESA radar which utilised a fully digital system with a patch antenna array, this was followed with two PAK-FA AESA radars that utilise a patch antenna and slotted planar.
This would be followed with the N035 Irbis-E HBF PESA in 2008 for Su-35S and Su-30SM2 as well as Su-27SM upgrades. Their first high end 5th Generation Radar would be the N036 Byelka system in 2011 which is an all digital multi position system with 12x individual arrays for the Su-57 and Su-75 and the N036KL for Su-35S. This would be followed with the FGA-29 Zhuk-AM in 2016 which is an AESA radar with a patch antenna array for the MiG-35D in 2019.
There was also the FGA-35 AESA radar offered for export MiG-29 upgrades along with the FGA-51. Lastly there is the BRLS-130R AESA radar with a slotted planar array for use on export Yak-130Ms.
Now for the USA
Their first gen 1 radar was the British AN/APS-4 in 1941-43 then the domestic AN/APG-1 in 1943. Their first Rangefinding Radar was the AN/APG-30 with the A-1CM gun sight in 1948.
Their first 2nd Generation Radar was the AN/APQ-100 developed for the F-4C in 1960.
Their first 2+ pulse doppler radar was the AN/APG-59 for the F-4J in 1965.
Their first 3rd Generation Radar was the AN/AWG-9 for the F-111B in 1968.
Their first 4th Generation Radar would be the AN/APG-70 developed in 1983 along with, AN/APG-71 and AN/APG-73 in late 80s for F-14D, F-15E and F/A-18C.
The USA first 5th Generation Radar would be the AN/APG-77 in 1995 for F-22 which was utilised in 1997.
Their first 5+ radar was the AN/APG-84 in late 2010s.
Sources will be added soon
Comments
Post a Comment