In terms of capabilities, the S-400 Triumph hanud system is predicted to carry long-range anti-air attack missiles. For example, in Hanud's S-400 arsenal there are 9M96E missiles with a range of 40 km, 9M96E2 missiles with a range of 120 km, 48N6 missiles with a range of 250 km and 40N6E missiles with a range of 400 km.
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That means the S-400 airborne system could theoretically destroy any Ukrainian fighter jets and helicopters within their territory. However, to detect targets at long distances, the S-400's hanud system needs help.
Apart from relying on radar (ground radar) which is part of the S-400 system, such as 91N6E (surveillance and acquisition radar) and 96L6E (air search and acquisition radar) and 40V6M (low flying target detector radar).
The 91N6E and 86l6E are envisioned as radar instruments to engage targets flying at maximum altitude. These two radars, which can detect stealth targets from a distance of 150 km, are capable of tracking 100 targets simultaneously. Meanwhile the 40V6M with a monopole tower is prepared to sniff out low-flying targets.
If you only rely on the 'built-in' radar assets on the S-400 hanud system mentioned above, missiles such as the 48N6 and 40N6E will not be able to display their maximum capabilities, because the detection range of the 91N6E and 96L6E radars is 'limited.'
So, in order to destroy targets far beyond the horizon, Russia found a solution by combining the capabilities of the flying radar on the Beriev A-50 reconnaissance aircraft, which acts as Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C)/AWACS.
By involving the Beriev A-50, the detection capabilities of the S-400 hanud system can be 'jacked up'. A report in the TASS News Agency said the 'fusion' worked perfectly and had caused the downing of at least one Ukrainian fighter plane.
Although the report cannot be verified, and there has been no official statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, the fusion between the S-400 hanud system and the Beriev A-50 AEW&C aircraft is an interesting topic to observe.
It is stated that the S-400 hanud system can be used 'in conjunction' with the A-50 in ongoing Special Military Operations. "The S-400 air defense system was fired at maximum distance against targets which at the time of destruction were at an altitude of around 1,000 meters," said a Russian source, quoted from eurasiantimes.com (26/10/2023)
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| Radar locator S-400 92N6E “Grave Stone” |
Another TASS report also quoted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying that Ukraine had suffered heavy losses in the past week. “We shot down 24 planes in 5 days,” Shoigu said while visiting the Vostok Group of Forces in eastern Ukraine. It is unclear whether any of the downed Ukrainian planes were victims of a fusion between the A-50 and S-400.
It is impossible for the S-400's tracking radar to operate in 'war reserve' mode when trying to attack targets at the greatest possible distance. Combat reserve mode, also called ‘training frequency’, hides characteristics such as the ‘pulse width’ used to analyze the radar signature.
The missile was fired in 'lock on after launch' mode. Guidance and targeting data will be received in the 'mid-trip' phase from the airborne A-50 and stored in the missile's navigation system. Incorporate a terminal stage finder, and the navigation system does the rest.
The A-50 and S-400 crews are said to communicate separately, first the S-400 crew enters targeting coordinates into the missile. However, the accuracy of this approach can be doubted as pre-set target data for a moving aircraft will be irrelevant as the aircraft will change direction.
About the Beriev A-50, known as an AEW&C aircraft that relies on a rotating radar (rotating radome). Carrying a large radar dish, the Beriev A-50 carrying the Vega-M radar can scan targets in the air as far as 650 km and 300 km for targets on the surface.
The Vega-M radar with an antenna diameter of 9 meters can support the movement (guidance) of 10 fighter jets in air-to-air or air-to-surface attack missions.
Meanwhile, in reconnaissance mode, the Vega-M radar is capable of tracking 150 targets in the air simultaneously at a distance of 230 km. Meanwhile, tracking warships on the surface can be done from 400 km.