MOSCOW. Dec 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The local Lianozovo electromechanical plant (LEMZ) is ready for mass production of a new aerial target detection station designated as 96L6E, a spokesman for the LEMZ administration said on Thursday.
The station was developed jointly by LEMZ and the Lira design bureau, the spokesman told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The latest military conflicts in the Middle East and Yugoslavia have demonstrated high vulnerability of air defense in case an aerial target detection station goes out of order, the station's chief constructor Alexander Kolik said. The stations would be spotted and destroyed very quickly, he noted.
The 96L6E is a mobile system that can constantly move on the terrain. If mounted on one vehicle, it can be made ready for operation in five minutes from the route, in less than five minutes from the deployed position and in less than 40 seconds from the standby position. The new station can function as part of the S-300PMU surface-to-air missile system. In this case it is used as an autonomous target indicator.
Using an azimuth-seerable multipath antenna that guarantees scanning in an elevated position, the station automatically puts out data on the aerial situation concerning a broad range of aerodynamic targets such as planes and cruise missiles, including those made on the stealth technology.
Experts say that the station ensures efficient detection of low-flying targets, as well as objects flying at high and medium altitudes thanks to adaptive application of broad-base signals and high frequencies. The antenna can be lifted by means of a special tower to detect targets moving at extremely low altitudes over forests and rough terrain.
The service life of the station makes at least 20 years. The full overhaul period, including capital repairs, is up to 30,000 hours, the spokesman said.