P-8 radar
 CIA illustration of a P-8 | |
| Country of origin |  Soviet Union |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1950 |
| Type | Early Warning Ground Control |
| Frequency | VHF |
| Range | 150-250 km |
| Altitude | 8-10 km |
| Azimuth | 360 degrees |
| Elevation | 24 degrees |
| Precision | <2.5 km range |
| Power | 70-75 kW |
The "Pegmantit 8" or P-8 (also referred to by the NATO reporting name "Knife Rest A" in the west) was an early 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union.
Development
[edit]The "Pegmantit 8", which is abbreviated to P-8, was a development of one of the first early warning and ground control radars to be developed by the former Soviet Union, the P-3 radar. The radar was developed and successfully tested between 1949 and 1950, demonstrating a detection range of 150 km against a target aircraft at 8 km altitude[1] and was accepted into operational service. The P-8 was developed by the SKB Design Bureau, a division of State Plant No.197 named after V. I. Lenin who developed the previous P-3, the predecessor of the current Nizhniy Novgorod Research Institute of Radio Engineering (NNIIRT).[2] The development of the P-8 radar won the team responsible for its introduction the state prize.
In 1951 the P-8 radar underwent a significant modification which boosted the detection range to 250 km against a target flying at an altitude of 10 km, the target detection range of low altitude targets was also improved by a factor of 60-70%.[1] Between 1956 and 1957 the P-10 and legacy P-8 radar were equipped with improved clutter suppression equipment allowing for cancellation of clutter moving up to 30 m/s, cancellation was improved by a factor of 5 compared with no cancellation.[3]
Description
[edit]The P-8 being a development of the earlier P-3 shares many similarities with the earlier system, like the P-3M (mobile variant) the P-8 was mounted in two ZiL trucks. The P-8 used a single antenna accomplishing both transmission and reception which rotated at a speed of 2 r.p.m. The antenna was composed of four Yagi antennas mounted in sets of two with one set above the other atop a 30-meter mast.[4] Azimuth was scanned mechanically by the antenna with elevation determined using a goniometer in similar fashion to the P-3.[4] The P-8 was one of the first Russian radars to incorporate a means of clutter suppression,[2] a coherent oscillator in the receiver circuit acted as a simple moving target indicator to eliminate passive interference like ground clutter. The P-8 was also the first Russian radar to use a plan position indicator[2] in addition to an A-scope to indicate height, the radar had a maximum power output of up to 75 kW and a receiver sensitivity of 7 mV.[1]
Operators
[edit]The P-8 was operated by the Soviet Union from 1950[1] but has long since become obsolete and retired from service, replaced by more advanced models entering into service after the P-8 such as the P-10 radar.
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "РЛС П-8 (Knife Rest A)" (in Russian). pvo.guns.ru. 2000-08-07. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ a b c "Nizhniy novgorod research institute of radio engineering". NNIIRT. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-24.
- ^ "РЛС П-10 (Knife Rest B)" (in Russian). pvo.guns.ru. 2000-08-07. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ a b Christian Wolff (2008). "P- 8 "Knife Rest A"" (in German). Retrieved 2008-12-27.