Ukraine destroys $5.5 Million Podlet-K1 radar system at Russian border
On November 1, 2023, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported that soldiers from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR), the Special Operations Forces (SSO), and the 1st separate special forces brigade discovered and destroyed a Russian Podlet-K1 mobile radar station using a drone strike. This incident marked the third confirmed destruction of such equipment, which is estimated to be worth $5.5 million. The operation took place in the border zone near the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the Shebekino district of the Belgorod region, Russia.
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Ukraine destroyed the Podlet-K1 mobile radar system, used to detect air targets at low and extremely low altitudes, with a drone strike. (Picture source: Ukraine MoD and Yandex)
The Podlet-K1, also known as the 48Ya6-K1, is a mobile solid-state three-coordinate radar station specifically designed to detect air targets at low and extremely low altitudes. It is equipped with a circular scan phased-array radar (ФАР) to detect airborne objects flying at low and extremely low altitudes, even in complex interference scenarios. Developed by the Russian defense company "Almaz-Antey," the primary purpose of the Podlet-K1 radar is to provide target designation for surface-to-air missile systems such as the S-300, S-400, and similar platforms. The development of this radar system began around 2009, with state trials conducted in 2010, and distribution to the Russian Air Defense Forces began in 2015.
The radar system offers various capabilities, including automated target identification and coordinate determination. It can track a variety of aerodynamic targets, even those that are challenging to detect and identify. The system's design is aimed at communicating target information to surface-to-air missile systems and fighter aircraft.
The Podlet-K1 radar system operates in multiple modes, including low-altitude detection, medium-altitude, and long-range detection modes, as well as a specialized mountain mode for mountainous terrains.
The system consists of various components, including an antenna post mounted on a KAMAZ chassis, a control cabin (kung) also affixed to a KAMAZ chassis, and an electric generator situated on a KAMAZ chassis.
Operating within a centimeter wavelength frequency range, the Podlet-K1 radar system can simultaneously detect up to 200 targets. It has a detection range spanning from 10 to 200 km, which can be extended to 10 to 300 km in an extended mode. The radar can identify targets at a maximum altitude of 10 km and provides full 360-degree azimuthal coverage. Its elevation angle ranges from -2 to +25 degrees (or from -7 to +12 degrees in an extended mode). The system can determine target coordinates with accuracy, offering a range precision of 200 meters and an azimuth precision of 1.6 degrees. The radar's scanning interval can be configured to 5 or 10 seconds, and it offers a suppression ratio of 50 dB for local object reflections. The deployment or folding of the Podlet-K1 system takes approximately 20 minutes.
The deployment or folding of the Podlet-K1 system takes approximately 20 minutes. (Picture source: Yandex)