The equipment is the product of efforts to improve long-range detection and defense capabilities after Moscow saw an increasing number of drone attacks from Kiev.
The SKVP was tested from 2021 to 2023, TASS news agency reported. It was first introduced at the Army 2022 military exhibition, indicating that it was a radar developed to deal with the ongoing conflict and is considered to have export potential.
Increased UAV attacks on Russian territory
The latest attack involved two drones that were shot down near the village of Lukino, just outside Moscow, as they approached a local military depot. The Associated Press reported that wreckage from a third drone was found about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away, with no damage or casualties reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry (RuMoD) said all three drones were downed using “electronic jamming”. Ukraine, which does not usually confirm attacks on Russian soil, did not comment on the incident.
Earlier, according to EurAsian Times, on May 30, Moscow and its surrounding suburbs were attacked by at least eight drones, but only minor damage was caused to some buildings. In early June, Ukrainian media circulated images of a new UAV, called Beaver, which was said to have appeared in these airstrikes.
The Russian Ministry of Defense (RuMoD) reported that all UAVs were destroyed, of which three were "destroyed by electronic warfare", causing them to lose control and deviate from their intended target. The Pantsir-S short-range air defense system shot down the remaining five.
Previously, from April 23 to 24, about 4-5 UAVs flew into the Belgorod region near Moscow but were shot down by electronic warfare or due to insufficient fuel. Next, a UJ-22 drone of Ukrainian origin was found upside down near Noginsk.
But the most serious and alarming attack was the one on the Kremlin on May 3. Videos showed two drones flying straight into the building before being shot down. While President Vladimir Putin was not believed to be in the building at the time, Moscow called it an assassination attempt and blamed Ukraine.
Reduce pressure, increase defense efficiency
The New York Times on May 25 quoted US intelligence officials as saying that Ukraine's security agency was likely behind the attack, and that the incident was more aimed at demonstrating the ability to overcome Russia's air defense system than at actually attempting to assassinate.
TASS news agency said that SKVP is capable of detecting flying objects at a range of 400 m to 80 km. For example, small aircraft can be “caught” by radar at a distance of 30 km, while medium-sized drones such as the Orlan-10 can be detected at a distance of 18 km, and smaller UAVs can be detected at a distance of 7 km. The “ideal” speed at which they can be detected is 270 m/s.
The equipment would help relieve pressure on military radars and EW systems currently protecting Moscow's skies, and would "bankrupt" Kiev's plans to use UAV attacks to pressure Russia into withdrawing its air defenses from the front line to protect key cities.
The full SKVP system consists of 24 units forming a network. Each unit is equipped with phased array radar stations mounted on tripods, mobile vehicles or high-rise building roofs. It can simultaneously track 20 aircraft, including small drones, with the ability to classify, determine altitude and distance to the target. This means the system is capable of tracking a “swarm” of UAVs.
Western military observers assume that the SKVP is designed to be easily integrated with close-range air defense systems such as Pantsir-S and combined artillery-missile complexes to protect Moscow.
(According to EurAsian Times)
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