Russia deploys OTH HF radar covering all eastern Europe

Apparently the Russians are spending on this now to fill in the holes in their air defense left by departure of former USSR eastern European republics. Over the Horizon (OTH) radar using HF ground wave and first ionospheric bounce has been used for detection of ships and aircraft in the Pacific since the Soviet era. Anyone who has driven long distances in the US with their AM radio tuned to a high power clear channel station has experienced the phenomenon of iono-bounce at the right time of day in the right atmospheric conditions. Use of an HF (3-30 MHz) has limited bandwidth, hence poor range resolution. It is detectable and vulnerable to interference and jamming at long distances. Principles are discussed in the Skolnik Radar Handbook Chapter 20.


20.76 Skolnik - RADAR HANDBOOK Chapter 20 - Hf Over-The-horizon Radar

Introduction to special section: Science and technology of over-the-horizon radar - Berkey - 2012 - Radio Science - Wiley Online Library

 The rationale for the development of over-the-horizon (OTH) radar systems operating at frequencies in the HF band arose out of a perceived need for an early-warning defense network. That need changed with the end of the Cold War; however, today OTH radars play a major role in the CounterDrug Program for the interdiction of drug-smuggling aircraft. This special section of Radio Science is devoted to a review of OTH radar technology, with emphasis on contemporary developments in this field. The collection of papers presented here has evolved largely from research and development efforts directed to improving the performance of OTH radar systems deployed both in the United States and in Australia.

Russian Woodpecker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Russian Woodpecker was a notorious Soviet radio signal that could be sporadically heard on the shortwave radio bands worldwide between July 1976 and December 1989. It sounded like a sharp, repetitive tapping noise at 10 Hz,^[1] giving rise to the "Woodpecker" name. The random frequency hops disrupted legitimate broadcast, amateur radio, commercial aviation communications, utility transmissions, and resulted in thousands of complaints by many countries worldwide. Because of its extremely high power output (over 10 MW in some cases), the signal became such a nuisance that some receivers such as amateur radios and televisions actually began including 'Woodpecker Blankers' in their design.

Duga 3 near Chernobyl

The mysterious and unclaimed signal was a source for much speculation, giving rise to theories such as Soviet mind control and weather control. However, after careful study, many experts and amateur radio hobbyists long believed it to be that of an extremely powerful over-the-horizon radar (OTH) system. This theory was publicly confirmed after the fall of the Soviet Union, and is now known to be the Duga-3 (Russian: Дуга-3)^[2] system, part of the Soviet ABM early-warning network. NATO military intelligence had photographed the system and given it the NATO reporting name Steel Yard.

Russian Military Outposts Russian Woodpecker Duga Radar Array, Chenobyl, Ukraine

The Aviationist » Russia deploys radar able to track military jets across whole of eastern Europe

Russia deploys radar able to track military jets across whole of eastern Europe

By Jacek Siminski

An HF radar that is able to track targets at ranges of over 3,000 km in the right atmospheric conditions has been activated within the Russian air defense system on Dec. 2, 2013. The Kolkino radar station, using the first modernized 29B6 radar (code named Kontainer), is able to track aerial targets flying as far aways as Denmark. Earlier the radar had a research role only, and even if full operational capability is expected within 2 years, the new system is already keeping an eye on what flies west of the Russian border. Another 29B6 radar should be installed in the far eastern Russian territories, achieving operational status in 2018.

Chapter 14, "Russia has a fighting Duga"

[google tranlation from Russian] 
...opportunities for Duga interested in fighting the Soviet Navy. In 1982 Evstratov proposed Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Sergei G. Gorshkov Duga used to control surface and air situation mode surface wave in the near-200-mile zone, and in the far zone, about 3000 kilometers, carry radar reconnaissance through the ionosphere by skywave . Commander of the Navy was known situation which has developed martial Duga for Air Defense Forces.  

However, naval experts objectively considered the proposal Evstratova Gorshkov and not afraid to take responsibility for the allocation of funds for their creation. Construction of a naval Duga was sanctioned special resolution CPSU Central Committee and USSR Council of Ministers 24 December 1982. It was called "The Wave." Chief Designer Evstratov with a team of scientists and engineers have designed this mobile Duga maximum.  

All equipment, including powerful computing complex, housed in transportable cabins. This significantly reduced the cost of the radar itself. Under it was preparing a platform to organize kung and cable management. In the radar was used the newest type of antenna. With a length of 1,500 meters, it had a height of 5 meters. For metal content, the volume of construction works, this antenna is hundreds of times less than the previous horizon radar antennas for defense. Fleet very quickly came to the creation of their system. In 1983, near the city of Nakhodka on the Pacific coast in one of the bays was selected for deployment "Waves". In 1984, construction began on a residential campus, engineering systems, platforms for radar.
 
Duga "Wave" was a complex and knowledge-based object. According to the experience of creating radar for air-defense forces for installation and adjustment work was created by Far East production and technical enterprise.
 
Scientific and Technical Guidelines of the object creation, development of software and algorithmic complex carried deputy chief designer Valentin Strelkin, deputy chief designer of Ether I. Pasha, Viktor Sobchuk entrusted to them and development teams.
 
The first phase of Duga "Wave" was built as early as 1986. It was used for experimental work on the detection in the near field of the research vessel "Ocean", the Pacific Fleet patrol ship "Flying." These studies led scientists and engineers to September 1987. The result was achieved horizon detection range surface wave ships over 300 kilometers. And then the scientists and engineers began to work hard to Duga sensing of surface and airborne targets at ranges up to 3,000 km within the first ionospheric jump. In 1987, the first positive results were reported for the detection of ships and aircraft at ranges up to 2,800 kilometers. This made it possible to complete the experimental work and to further improve equipment to this radar prototype.
 
From 1987 to 1990, the works on modernization software and algorithmic complex Duga "Wave" and improve its energy potential. This work has been so successful that in 1990, steadily radar to detect and track aircraft carrying U.S. groups in the Pacific Ocean at ranges in excess of 3000 kilometers.
State tests Duga "Wave" passed in 1992. Radar showed ships and air targets at ranges of spatial beam 1000-3000 kilometers. In the same year was transferred to the locator of the Russian Navy. It entered service with the Pacific Fleet for solving detection of surface and air targets.
 
In 1999 NIIDAR with the direct support of the Navy built on the Kamchatka Peninsula experimental model of low-grade surface wave Duga "Taurus". In the autumn of the same year "Taurus" showed U.S. Navy ships at ranges up to 250 kilometers, and also carried out-the-horizon detection of aircraft.