Iran has acquired Kolchuga Passive Early Warning Radars

Jane's has reported that Iran has purchased and received Kolchuga Passive Early Warning Radars

Ukraine sells Kolchuga to Iran

By Robert Karniol JDW Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief
Bangkok

The Kolchuga is intended to detect the take-off and formation of aircraft groups at ranges beyond those of existing radar, as well as determine the course and speed of targets while designating them for air-defence systems. It can identify aerial targets through their emissions and identify the mode of aircraft weapon control systems.

Three Kolchuga stations would normally operate along with a command vehicle to provide accurate triangulation on a target. The system is claimed to have a range of 600 km (narrow beam) or 200 km (wide beam) along a front of 1,000 km.

It is not known how many Kolchuga stations Iran has acquired. However, sources told Jane's that each costs about USD25 million, with deliveries either recent or imminent.

© 2006 Jane's Information Group

For more info on Kolchuga, click here



I believe it's a very clever purchase on part of iranian armed forces. with Iranian-built Laser Defence Warning System becoming operational, Iran now possesses a much better radar coverage over its territories and beyond, making life much harder for us air force trying to fly over its territories.

Kolchuga radar stations operating along iranians sam systems such as hawk, rapier, s-200, and tor-m1's would pose a real theat to any air force, flying over iran.

besides what I said, Does anyone know what are the possible motives behind acquiring Kolchuga radars?

To Experts, What are the possible threats that these new toys would pose to US air force, trying to attack iranian nuclear facilities, including stealth aircrafts?

And, I thought, Ukraine is now pro-western, so how could such a deal could take place?

Keep It Real

The motives for purchasing a system like that is to use it for air defence, especially against the US, which I think Iran is going to pick a fight with. This has been spoiling for years. All these purchases and such.....can't be just for defending against other Middle Eastern nations. Iran clearly outclasses Syria or Saudi Arabia. Iraq is a joke. Pakistan would be the other nation it's worried about but they outclass them technically, now, except they don't have the bomb and the Pakis do. The only other nation in the region they'd be really worried about is Israel.

So I'd say these passive radars have been bought for one purpose, to defend Iranian airspace against attack by US/Allied and Israeli forces.

Only one problem, even passive radars can be detected, if you have the right equipment. They still generate an electronic signature that's unique to the receivers of the radar type. Not only that, they draw energy from their environment around the antennae. They appear as "cold spots", both in the radio and thermal spectrum. Basically, they look like a "hole" in the air. All that needs to be done is to direct an intense blast of microwaves or other radio-frequency EMR at the "hole". Passive radar becomes FUBAR.....all it's electronics get fried and if they're unlucky so does the operator.

Originally posted by proprog
Kolchuga radar stations operating along iranians sam systems such as hawk, rapier, s-200, and tor-m1's would pose a real theat to any air force, flying over iran.

Iran do not have the Rapier system.

Would Iran be capable of integrating this radar into their exiting network?

I wonder how such a sale would play out politically with Ukraine trying to get closer to the EU and the US...

Regards

Public schooling here..right???

Thanks,
Orangetom

Originally posted by paraphi
Iran do not have the Rapier system.

Would Iran be capable of integrating this radar into their exiting network?

I wonder how such a sale would play out politically with Ukraine trying to get closer to the EU and the US...

Regards

they were sold them during the shah reign (when they were basicaly best buddies with the US and co)

now they also produce their own varients of the missile

While this system will alert Iranian forces to a pre-emptive strike by any force, it does not exactly increase the effectiveness of any of their SAM batteries directly. They will be on alert, but they will still aquire targets with active scanner radars and be a target for HARM type missiles. This also will do little good against low altitude penetration attacks that simply cannot be spotted by radars or sensors because of terrain masking.

Originally posted by GhostITM Iran clearly outclasses Syria or Saudi Arabia.

Uhm, what?

Saudi Arabia outclasses Iran in every catagory by a lot. While the radar systems are no doubt being purchased to defend against US planes, they sure might come in handy against other middle eastern countries should they become aggressive, because I imagine those 134 F-15s Saudi Arabia has, or all those F-16s in Pakistan, not to mention all those F-15s and F-16s Israel has might be a more constant potential threat than a single rotational US aircraft carrier.

Iran is a 3rd tier middle eastern military power, behind the only first tier power Israel and the second tier powers Egypt and Saudi Arabia. While Iran makes a lot of noise about their military technology, thier biggest naval threat is a 1500 boats less than 60' sporting mortars and anti-tank guns, their army has virtually no modern military vehicles, and their airforce is archored on an older version of the Mig-29. For comparison, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait have at least as good an airforce as Iran, and all three have a Navy that is at least on par with Iran.

The air defenses of Iraq in 1991 and Serbia in 1999 was far more advanced than what Iran has today. Iran has less than 2 dozen modern radars, and the addition of 3 systems doens't change that. Iran has less than 30 TOR batteries, which btw require an active seeker meaning they will get one shot before being illuminated, and virtually everything else they have is Vietnam era, not close to what Serbia had.

I don't know why people over rate the Iranian regular military, Iran's strengths are and have always been their special and iregular forces, which are some of the best in the world. Their traditional military has been woefully underfunded for decades.

Remember, Iran is the army that got whooped up on by Iraq in the 80s, and it wasn't until the last few years Iran had enough money to even think about buying modern equipment. As a result, they have had to be incredibly resourceful in recapitalizing on older technology, something they appear very good at with the F-14s and Hawk missiles as good examples.

Hi darksided.

Here is a link where General John Abizaid, chief of the US Central Command, has described Irans' military as the most powerfull in the Middle East.

It seems many people are underestimating their capabilities..

kojac,

Exactly, read it.

He notes the 3 threats, ballistic missiles, naval mines, and asymetrical military tactics by irregular and special operations forces.

In the tactical world of military combat those are disruptive capabilities, not offensive or defensive capabiltiies. The 72 F-15S's of Saudi Arabia would constitute a much greater offensive threat, while the 62 F-15 A and C varients would be a much more potent defense capability than that of Iran.

I'm not dismissing their ability to create problems, the fact they have the 4th largest naval mine inventory in the world behind the US, China, and Russia for example speaks for itself, however to say Iran is some major military power is an overstatement.

Originally posted by bodrul

Originally posted by paraphi
Iran do not have the Rapier system.

Would Iran be capable of integrating this radar into their exiting network?

I wonder how such a sale would play out politically with Ukraine trying to get closer to the EU and the US...

Regards

they were sold them during the shah reign (when they were basicaly best buddies with the US and co)

now they also produce their own varients of the missile

Indeed they do. They also, in the original deal, were allowed to manufacture their own Rapiers under license at a rate of 75/month, so it is reasonable to assume they still do and have alot of them. Rapier is a good, solid SAM system.

Originally posted by stumason
Indeed they do. They also, in the original deal, were allowed to manufacture their own Rapiers under license at a rate of 75/month, so it is reasonable to assume they still do and have alot of them. Rapier is a good, solid SAM system.

The modern Rapier in the British military are completely different than the cold war era systems licensed 20 years ago. The only similarity to the two systems would be the name.

Much like the US Hawk SAM systems, a US built Hawk system in operation in South Korea has nothing in common but name to a Hawk system Iran has.

The Iranians are very resourceful though, the Rapier systems Iran has left over from those systems long ago are likely more modern, and have capabilties well beyond their original design. They still wouldn't match up to the version deployed by the RAF though.

Ahh, a master of stating the obvious, I see....

I have, upon further research, heard that the tracked Rapiers where never delivered, as the Shar fell before it was possible. There is still the niggle of handing them the blueprints to produce the missiles though. I am not sure if that happened or not...

EDIT: It's not just the RAF that operate them. The Army do too.. Played with one myself actually. Great fun targetting Airliners


[edit on 24/9/06 by stumason]

Originally posted by stumason
EDIT: It's not just the RAF that operate them. The Army do too.. Played with one myself actually. Great fun targetting Airliners

[edit on 24/9/06 by stumason]

I thought I read somewhere the Army has retired all their Rapiers and only the Air Force still uses them?

Originally posted by darksided
Much like the US Hawk SAM systems, a US built Hawk system in operation in South Korea has nothing in common but name to a Hawk system Iran has.

Iranians use Imrpoved Hawk missiles and launching systems and radars. They also manufacture them for export.