Bars radar for MiG-29: "Bars-29"

“Bars” RLSU Is Next Step on Way to Creation of Fifth Generation Fighter

The “Bars” ((“Panther”)) radar control system (RLSU), developed by the V.V. Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Building on order of the Aerospace Equipment Corporation is the next stage of work on the creation of an integrated radiotechnical complex for the fifth generation multirole combat airplane. In 2003, the corporation won a Russian defense ministry tender for participation in this largest of the Russian defense industrial complex’s projects and it plans to invest more than 160 million dollars of its own funds in experimental design work on it.

OAO V.V. Tikhomirov Scientific and Research Institute of Instrument Building has huge experience in the creation of phased antenna arrays. Work in this area of the radar has been on-going at the institute since the start of the 1970s. As early as the start of the ‘80s, the MiG-31 airplane was equipped with the “Zaslon” system with a fixed phased antenna array which was created at the NIIP.

It should be noted that a decrease of potential performance is observed in aircraft radars (BRLS) with fixed phased antenna arrays at large angles (more than 40 degrees) of beam pattern deflection from the axis of the antenna. Further work on the improvement of the antenna technology led to the creation of moving phased antenna array for the “Bars” radar control system which not only has been freed from the deficiencies of the fixed phased antenna array, but also has assumed a series of new capabilities.

The “Bars” radar control system has become a new development stage in domestic and worldwide radar and pertains to the so-called generation 4++. It has tangible advantages in comparison with the preceding generation, to which in particular the “Zhuk-MEh” radar control system and others pertain.

The new aircraft radar station has a moving phased antenna array (FAR) with electronic scanning that allows practically instantly shifting the antenna beam pattern to any point in space and depending on the target situation flexibly vary the speed of the beam’s shift and its time at each angular position during a scan of the air space and the surface below, and also to form an antenna pattern of the required configuration depending on the tasks being resolved. Thus, the phased antenna array possesses irrefutable advantages to reflector antennas and slotted antenna arrays.

Having examined the modes of radar control system operation and the task resolved by it, one may conclude that the “Bars” radar control system has no counterparts in the world at the present time.

An airplane equipped with the “Bars” radar control system gains the capability to examine the air space at high speed while simultaneously tracking up to 15 objects and attacking up to 4 targets located at any point of the scanning zone (at a spatial angle of 800) and at the same time to search for new targets. This mode allows in case it is necessary (upon the appearance of a more dangerous target) changing the target being attacked. For an example, in an aircraft radar with a slotted antenna array, once can realize such a regime only in a simplified variant – without maintaining a scan of the ((air)) space and under conditions of the positioning of the targets in a narrow zone of 200 square degrees (for example, in a zone 400 in azimuth and 50 in elevation.)

The “Bars” aircraft radar allows the use of a combined mode, that is, to operate simultaneously both against aerial and against ground targets (whereas this was practically impossible in the aircraft radars of the previous generation.) In which connection, this mode is realized in two variants: the ground target tracking mode with maintenance of spatial scan of aerial targets and the single ground target tracking mode with simultaneous firing at an aerial target in long-range combat.

Beside the modes listed above, the “Bars” radar control system provides:

In the operational mode against aerial targets:
search of targets by speed;
search of targets by measuring and changing range;
scan of the air space in a zone of +70 degrees in azimuth and +40 degrees in elevation;
illumination of targets and transfer of update commands ((KOMANDA RADIOKORREKTSII)) for control of missile armament;
tracking of a jamming platform;
determination of type of airborne targets. On switching on of this mode, the “Bars” radar control system determines the type of aerial target detected through the parameters of the signal reflected from the target: “large target,” “medium-sized target,” “small target,” “group target,” transport airplane, helicopter, and jet airplane. Upon introduction into the data base of the spectral characteristics of specific airplane this mode will allow determining the type of airplane, for example, F-14, F-18 and so on;
determination of the characteristics of a group target in the tracking mode while maintaining scan. This mode allow more effectively using guided missile armament upon attacking a group target;
search, lock-on and tracking of a visually spotted aerial target in close-in maneuvering combat.
In the operational mode against ground targets:
ground ((POVERKHNOST’)) mapping in real beam mode;
ground mapping in narrow-beam Doppler mode ((REZHIM DOPLEROVSKOGO OBUZHENIYA LUCHA));
ground mapping in synthetic aperture mode;
selection of moving ground targets;
coordinate measuring and tracking of up to two ground targets;
resolution of tasks of group actions upon attacking ground targets.
In the operational mode against naval targets:
further detection of huge sized naval targets;
scan of the sea surface and detection of naval targets;
selection of moving naval targets;
coordinate measuring and tracking of up to two naval targets, moving or stationary.

The technologies in the “Bars” radar control system make possible the creation of its modifications for various types of airplanes. Thus, the “Bars-29” radar control system for the MiG-29 airplane is 80 – 90 percent apparatus standardized with the “Bars” radar control system of the Su-30MKI, in which connection three non-standardized blocs (the antenna bloc, SHF receiver, and the master generator) are being manufactured on a common technology with analogous “Bars” radar control system blocs. Standardization of the “Bars-29” radar control system and the “Bars” radar control system in the area of software is greater than 90 percent. The small software difference is governed by the difference in the aircraft equipment interface of the airplanes. Such standardization allows essentially standardizing the training of flight crews, radar control system servicing and composition of ground training facilities.

Flight tests of the “Bars” radar control system with the MK-1 and MK-2 software versions in the export oriented Su-30MKI airplane took place in 2002 – 2003. In these versions of the software, a large part of the modes listed above were realized. Tests of the “Bars” radar control system with the final MK-3 version of the software are being completed this year.

Owing to the expansion of Russia’s military and technical cooperation with foreign states (most of all, with India), the capability of the use in it of foreign produced components is an important feature of the “Bars” radar control system. In particular, the use of computer equipment produced in the consumer countries is possible.

The elemental base, the operating system and the applied ”Bars” radar control system software support ((PO)) fully are compatible with Western standards, which allows their upgrade while not changing the logic of the radar control system’s operation. The computer technology of the aircraft computer and “Bars” radar control system search and targeting system has been executed in the form factor of Western military standards (Compact-Pci.) All this gives the “Bars” radar control system considerable advantages over the developments of the Aerospace Equipment Corporation’s competitors, and also increases the competitiveness of Russian aviation equipment on the whole.

Source: 24.03.04, VPK