Smaller, more powerful and more efficient. Radio photon locators
The latest to date breakthrough in the field of radar took place several decades ago and was provided with active phased antenna arrays. In recent years, there is a need for a new breakthrough, and science already has the necessary groundwork. Further development of radar systems is associated with the development and application of the so-called. radiophoton locators. This concept offers a significant restructuring of the radar, due to which a significant increase in all the main characteristics can be obtained.
According to published data, radiophotonic radar can show certain advantages over the "traditional". Due to the increase in efficiency, it is possible to increase the range of the review and accuracy of target tracking. There is also the possibility of a simplified identification of the detected target. Prospective stations should be reduced in size, which gives new features layout. However, obtaining practically significant results in a new area is still a matter of the distant future.
Prospective projects
The concept of a radio-photon locator has been discussed at the theoretical level for the past several years, but until a certain time there was no further talk. The situation has changed relatively recently: since the end of 2016, Russian scientific organizations began to regularly talk about new research and the development of promising projects. Recent reports of radiophotonic radar stations appeared just a few weeks ago.
At the very end of 2016, the Russian Foundation for Advanced Study for the first time presented a model of a radiophoton receiving-transmitting module and a broadband emitter for a radically new radar. The prototype sample used VHF waves and was able to show remarkable characteristics. Thus, the range resolution has reached 1 m - such indicators are unattainable for the "traditional" radar of the same range.
Further work was continued. As it became known later, Concern Radioelectronic Technologies (KRET) is taking part in a promising program. In July, 2017, on the development of radiophotonic radars, was told by Advisor to the First Deputy General Director of KRET, Vladimir Mikheev. He revealed some technical details of the whole concept and the new project, and also spoke about current work and plans for the near future.
By that time, an experimental model of a new radar was developed at the KRET for use on future sixth generation fighter aircraft. As part of the research work, the main components of the locator were built. With their help, the necessary studies were carried out, with the help of which it was planned to find the optimal design options. The creation of a full-scale prototype of a radio-optical photon antenna array was also carried out. This sample was needed to refine the appearance and characteristics of future serial equipment.
In parallel with the study of the general aspects of the new project, the search for optimal designs of individual radar elements was carried out. Such works affected the emitter, the so-called. photonic crystal, receiving path and other components of the station. In the future, all these works will have to lead to the emergence of full-fledged workable samples suitable for mounting on media.
In July, 2018, it became known that the concern "RTI" also deals with the subject of radiophoton locators. It was reported that by the end of this year, the organization plans to complete a research project to create a model of a new X-band radar station. The developed product is intended for use on tactical flight combat aircraft. In this case, as in the case of the KRET project, it is not only about designing a radar station, but also about mastering the release of its individual components.
According to July news, Concern "RTI" managed to launch the country's first technological line for the production of so-called. vertically emitting lasers. Such devices are one of the main components of the radiophotonic radar and directly affect its characteristics and capabilities. Thus, the Russian industry gets the opportunity in the near future to establish production of promising stations.
The group's management also spoke about plans for the foreseeable future. The enterprise "RTI" will develop the achieved success and intends to create new versions of radio photon radar. First of all, it is planned to create new stations operating in the K, Ka and Q bands. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the dimensions of the products, so that new types of ultra-wideband radar should appear.
At the end of November, the RTI group again spoke about its work on a promising project. An experimental model of the radar station was made, with the help of which the specialists carried out the necessary checks. While the existing station does not have high performance, and in addition, has a lot of restrictions on operation. Nevertheless, work under the project continues, and in the future, the promising radar will get rid of the identified problems, which will allow it to reach operation.
Laser instead of semiconductor
The proposed concept of a radiophotonic radar or radio-optical photonic antenna array offers the rejection of the traditional components of the locator in favor of new, allowing to obtain enhanced performance. Modern radar stations generate electromagnetic radiation using electrovacuum or semiconductor devices. The efficiency of such devices does not exceed 30-40 percent. Accordingly, about two thirds of the electricity is converted into heat and is wasted. The radio photon station should use other means of signal generation, providing a sharp increase in efficiency.
As early as last year, V. Mikheev, talking about the new development of KRET, pointed out the main features of promising stations. The main innovation of the proposed projects is to replace semiconductor or lamp devices with a transmitter based on a coherent laser and a special photonic crystal. The laser radiation with the required characteristics is sent to the crystal, which converts it into electromagnetic waves. The efficiency of such a transmitter should exceed 60-70 percent. Thus, the new emitter is approximately twice as efficient as the traditional one.
Other open sources allow you to form a more complete picture. Radar equipment responsible for issuing, receiving and processing signals should control the laser, determining its power, modulation and other radiation parameters. The use of optical equipment, which transmits a signal through an optical fiber, makes it possible to obtain some gain in the speed of the systems in comparison with other equipment and wiring. In addition, as shown by the experiments, the emitter based on a laser and a photonic crystal converts more energy into electromagnetic waves than other devices.
In theory, the radiophoton architecture of the locator allows you to dramatically increase the working ranges and create a station of ultra-wideband class. Due to this promising radar is able to take on the tasks of several traditional systems of different ranges. In addition, it provides increased noise immunity and stability with active electronic countermeasures from the enemy.
It was mentioned earlier that an ultra-wideband station is not only resistant to interference, but can itself create them. High-power transmitter with the ability to work in different bands is able to assume the role of jammer. The full realization of such a potential of the radar can reduce the composition of the on-board EW equipment or even abandon other equipment of such purpose altogether. This leads to savings in mass and volume inside the carrier.
Finally, the radio-photon radar is smaller and lighter than existing counterparts. First of all, it facilitates the solution of layout issues when creating the station's carrier technology. In addition, it becomes possible to equip one combat vehicle with several radar stations at once or with one such device with a set of antennas distributed over the surface. Similar locators are already used in aviation, and new designs are unlikely to be left idle.
Increased performance and the ability to work in different ranges should lead to new characteristic features. So, last year V. Mikheev told that a radar of a new type would be able not only to determine the location of a target, but also to compose its exact image suitable for identification. For example, the station will be able to determine the coordinates of the air target, calculate the type of aircraft detected, and then recognize which missiles are suspended under its wing.
Radar and their carriers
It is obvious that a new direction is being worked out with a specific goal, and the development of the radar station is directly related to specific classes of military equipment. Theoretically, radio photon stations can be used in all areas where radar systems of traditional classes are already used. According to reports of recent years, Russian specialists have already chosen the scope of application for the first systems of the new class. They are created for military aviation, and not only for aircraft.
Earlier it was reported that the project radiophotonic radar from the Concern "Radio-electronic technology" is being developed in the context of the next sixth generation fighter. In KRET rightly believe that such aircraft should have a set of various means of detection, operating in different ranges and using a wide range of principles of location. Together with other systems, the future fighter must also have a radio-optical photon antenna array. In this case, it is possible to use several antenna devices distributed over the entire surface of the airframe and providing a circular view of the space.
Similar principles have already been implemented in the modern design of the fifth-generation fighter Su-57, and they should be developed when creating the next generation. Probably, by the time the main research and development work on promising radar is completed, the aviation industry will be ready to begin developing fundamentally new fighters.
The Concern "RTI" is also developing its projects with an eye on military aviation, however, it is of interest to another sector. Perspective locators may have reduced dimensions and mass, which may be of interest to designers of unmanned aerial vehicles. The first samples of ultralight and small-sized radiophoton stations for UAVs are planned to be created in the next few years.
The emergence of new means of observation and detection should have a great influence on the further development of unmanned aircraft. Dimensions and mass of modern aircraft radar limit the range of their carriers, in fact, excluding from it the existing and prospective domestic UAVs. With the appearance of light and compact radiophotonic radar situation will have to change.
Thanks to this, the army will be able to obtain medium or heavy aircraft capable of reconnaissance or piloting not only with the help of optoelectronic means. The positive consequences of the appearance of such UAVs are obvious. UAVs with high-performance radars can be used in a variety of areas, from reconnaissance to search and destruction of designated targets.
Whether promising radars will be introduced in land technology has not yet been clarified. The new equipment can be used in stationary and mobile locators, on anti-aircraft systems and in other areas. However, while the representatives of the domestic industry did not talk about the possibility of using radiophotonic radars outside of aviation.
The future issue
According to the news of recent years, several leading enterprises of the Russian radio-electronic industry are conducting research and development in a new direction. Several prototypes of various components of advanced radar stations have already been completed and tested, and taking into account the data obtained, the following products are being developed. The developers of the equipment in the face of concerns KRET and "RTI" have decided on their plans and continue to develop projects with clear objectives in the context of the development of our military equipment.
However, current projects are complex, which affects the timing of their implementation. Thus, the concern "RTI" plans to complete the development of practical radar in the next few years. KRET, in turn, creates its own project with an eye to the sixth generation of fighters. Thus, the appearance of ready-made new radiophoton locators suitable for operation on equipment is a matter of a medium or distant future.
However, the expected timing of the appearance of promising equipment is not a problem. Our industry and the army already have highly efficient modern radar stations capable of solving all the assigned tasks. With their help, the army will be able to have all the required capabilities up to the emergence of fundamentally new systems. In addition, one can hardly expect that the appearance of radiophoton stations will lead to a halt in the development of “traditional” systems. Thus, in the future, the troops will be able to receive in time all the necessary detection systems, both mastered and fundamentally new.
On the materials of the sites:
http://tass.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://tvzvezda.ru/
https://vz.ru/
https://fpi.defence.ru/
http://arms-expo.ru/
According to published data, radiophotonic radar can show certain advantages over the "traditional". Due to the increase in efficiency, it is possible to increase the range of the review and accuracy of target tracking. There is also the possibility of a simplified identification of the detected target. Prospective stations should be reduced in size, which gives new features layout. However, obtaining practically significant results in a new area is still a matter of the distant future.
Prospective projects
The concept of a radio-photon locator has been discussed at the theoretical level for the past several years, but until a certain time there was no further talk. The situation has changed relatively recently: since the end of 2016, Russian scientific organizations began to regularly talk about new research and the development of promising projects. Recent reports of radiophotonic radar stations appeared just a few weeks ago.
At the very end of 2016, the Russian Foundation for Advanced Study for the first time presented a model of a radiophoton receiving-transmitting module and a broadband emitter for a radically new radar. The prototype sample used VHF waves and was able to show remarkable characteristics. Thus, the range resolution has reached 1 m - such indicators are unattainable for the "traditional" radar of the same range.
Further work was continued. As it became known later, Concern Radioelectronic Technologies (KRET) is taking part in a promising program. In July, 2017, on the development of radiophotonic radars, was told by Advisor to the First Deputy General Director of KRET, Vladimir Mikheev. He revealed some technical details of the whole concept and the new project, and also spoke about current work and plans for the near future.
By that time, an experimental model of a new radar was developed at the KRET for use on future sixth generation fighter aircraft. As part of the research work, the main components of the locator were built. With their help, the necessary studies were carried out, with the help of which it was planned to find the optimal design options. The creation of a full-scale prototype of a radio-optical photon antenna array was also carried out. This sample was needed to refine the appearance and characteristics of future serial equipment.
In parallel with the study of the general aspects of the new project, the search for optimal designs of individual radar elements was carried out. Such works affected the emitter, the so-called. photonic crystal, receiving path and other components of the station. In the future, all these works will have to lead to the emergence of full-fledged workable samples suitable for mounting on media.
In July, 2018, it became known that the concern "RTI" also deals with the subject of radiophoton locators. It was reported that by the end of this year, the organization plans to complete a research project to create a model of a new X-band radar station. The developed product is intended for use on tactical flight combat aircraft. In this case, as in the case of the KRET project, it is not only about designing a radar station, but also about mastering the release of its individual components.
According to July news, Concern "RTI" managed to launch the country's first technological line for the production of so-called. vertically emitting lasers. Such devices are one of the main components of the radiophotonic radar and directly affect its characteristics and capabilities. Thus, the Russian industry gets the opportunity in the near future to establish production of promising stations.
The group's management also spoke about plans for the foreseeable future. The enterprise "RTI" will develop the achieved success and intends to create new versions of radio photon radar. First of all, it is planned to create new stations operating in the K, Ka and Q bands. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the dimensions of the products, so that new types of ultra-wideband radar should appear.
At the end of November, the RTI group again spoke about its work on a promising project. An experimental model of the radar station was made, with the help of which the specialists carried out the necessary checks. While the existing station does not have high performance, and in addition, has a lot of restrictions on operation. Nevertheless, work under the project continues, and in the future, the promising radar will get rid of the identified problems, which will allow it to reach operation.
Laser instead of semiconductor
The proposed concept of a radiophotonic radar or radio-optical photonic antenna array offers the rejection of the traditional components of the locator in favor of new, allowing to obtain enhanced performance. Modern radar stations generate electromagnetic radiation using electrovacuum or semiconductor devices. The efficiency of such devices does not exceed 30-40 percent. Accordingly, about two thirds of the electricity is converted into heat and is wasted. The radio photon station should use other means of signal generation, providing a sharp increase in efficiency.
As early as last year, V. Mikheev, talking about the new development of KRET, pointed out the main features of promising stations. The main innovation of the proposed projects is to replace semiconductor or lamp devices with a transmitter based on a coherent laser and a special photonic crystal. The laser radiation with the required characteristics is sent to the crystal, which converts it into electromagnetic waves. The efficiency of such a transmitter should exceed 60-70 percent. Thus, the new emitter is approximately twice as efficient as the traditional one.
Other open sources allow you to form a more complete picture. Radar equipment responsible for issuing, receiving and processing signals should control the laser, determining its power, modulation and other radiation parameters. The use of optical equipment, which transmits a signal through an optical fiber, makes it possible to obtain some gain in the speed of the systems in comparison with other equipment and wiring. In addition, as shown by the experiments, the emitter based on a laser and a photonic crystal converts more energy into electromagnetic waves than other devices.
In theory, the radiophoton architecture of the locator allows you to dramatically increase the working ranges and create a station of ultra-wideband class. Due to this promising radar is able to take on the tasks of several traditional systems of different ranges. In addition, it provides increased noise immunity and stability with active electronic countermeasures from the enemy.
It was mentioned earlier that an ultra-wideband station is not only resistant to interference, but can itself create them. High-power transmitter with the ability to work in different bands is able to assume the role of jammer. The full realization of such a potential of the radar can reduce the composition of the on-board EW equipment or even abandon other equipment of such purpose altogether. This leads to savings in mass and volume inside the carrier.
Finally, the radio-photon radar is smaller and lighter than existing counterparts. First of all, it facilitates the solution of layout issues when creating the station's carrier technology. In addition, it becomes possible to equip one combat vehicle with several radar stations at once or with one such device with a set of antennas distributed over the surface. Similar locators are already used in aviation, and new designs are unlikely to be left idle.
Increased performance and the ability to work in different ranges should lead to new characteristic features. So, last year V. Mikheev told that a radar of a new type would be able not only to determine the location of a target, but also to compose its exact image suitable for identification. For example, the station will be able to determine the coordinates of the air target, calculate the type of aircraft detected, and then recognize which missiles are suspended under its wing.
Radar and their carriers
It is obvious that a new direction is being worked out with a specific goal, and the development of the radar station is directly related to specific classes of military equipment. Theoretically, radio photon stations can be used in all areas where radar systems of traditional classes are already used. According to reports of recent years, Russian specialists have already chosen the scope of application for the first systems of the new class. They are created for military aviation, and not only for aircraft.
Earlier it was reported that the project radiophotonic radar from the Concern "Radio-electronic technology" is being developed in the context of the next sixth generation fighter. In KRET rightly believe that such aircraft should have a set of various means of detection, operating in different ranges and using a wide range of principles of location. Together with other systems, the future fighter must also have a radio-optical photon antenna array. In this case, it is possible to use several antenna devices distributed over the entire surface of the airframe and providing a circular view of the space.
Similar principles have already been implemented in the modern design of the fifth-generation fighter Su-57, and they should be developed when creating the next generation. Probably, by the time the main research and development work on promising radar is completed, the aviation industry will be ready to begin developing fundamentally new fighters.
The Concern "RTI" is also developing its projects with an eye on military aviation, however, it is of interest to another sector. Perspective locators may have reduced dimensions and mass, which may be of interest to designers of unmanned aerial vehicles. The first samples of ultralight and small-sized radiophoton stations for UAVs are planned to be created in the next few years.
The emergence of new means of observation and detection should have a great influence on the further development of unmanned aircraft. Dimensions and mass of modern aircraft radar limit the range of their carriers, in fact, excluding from it the existing and prospective domestic UAVs. With the appearance of light and compact radiophotonic radar situation will have to change.
Thanks to this, the army will be able to obtain medium or heavy aircraft capable of reconnaissance or piloting not only with the help of optoelectronic means. The positive consequences of the appearance of such UAVs are obvious. UAVs with high-performance radars can be used in a variety of areas, from reconnaissance to search and destruction of designated targets.
Whether promising radars will be introduced in land technology has not yet been clarified. The new equipment can be used in stationary and mobile locators, on anti-aircraft systems and in other areas. However, while the representatives of the domestic industry did not talk about the possibility of using radiophotonic radars outside of aviation.
The future issue
According to the news of recent years, several leading enterprises of the Russian radio-electronic industry are conducting research and development in a new direction. Several prototypes of various components of advanced radar stations have already been completed and tested, and taking into account the data obtained, the following products are being developed. The developers of the equipment in the face of concerns KRET and "RTI" have decided on their plans and continue to develop projects with clear objectives in the context of the development of our military equipment.
However, current projects are complex, which affects the timing of their implementation. Thus, the concern "RTI" plans to complete the development of practical radar in the next few years. KRET, in turn, creates its own project with an eye to the sixth generation of fighters. Thus, the appearance of ready-made new radiophoton locators suitable for operation on equipment is a matter of a medium or distant future.
However, the expected timing of the appearance of promising equipment is not a problem. Our industry and the army already have highly efficient modern radar stations capable of solving all the assigned tasks. With their help, the army will be able to have all the required capabilities up to the emergence of fundamentally new systems. In addition, one can hardly expect that the appearance of radiophoton stations will lead to a halt in the development of “traditional” systems. Thus, in the future, the troops will be able to receive in time all the necessary detection systems, both mastered and fundamentally new.
On the materials of the sites:
http://tass.ru/
http://ria.ru/
http://tvzvezda.ru/
https://vz.ru/
https://fpi.defence.ru/
http://arms-expo.ru/
- Ryabov Kirill
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