MR-700F Pobderzovik (“Flat Screen”) radar

(USSR)

Notes: This impressive 3D radar was developed by the Salyut bureau during the mid 1980s, and was accepted for service in 1988. It was intended as a retrofit system replacing “Top Sail” on the classes which carried that radar.

The antenna is a huge mesh square tilted at 5 degrees, it scans altitude electronically in a 0/+30 degree field. The antenna rotates at 12rpm. Despite it’s huge size, the antenna only weighs 3 tons. Atop the array are three IFF interrogators, which are an integrated component. “Flat Screen” uses pulse-compression, frequency hopping, and other advanced ECCM features.

In Russian nomenclature, “Flat Screen” is numbered in the -700 series which is typically reserved for the Fregat radar family. It is unclear why as “Flat Screen” appears to be an independent project of the Fregat family.

Maximum range is 270NM vs. a MPA-sized contact at high altitude, 162NM vs. a fighter at medium altitude, 57NM vs., a fighter at very low altitude, and 17NM vs. a sea-skimming missile. In the ship-to-ship mode, ranges of 30NM are theoretically possible however 13NM is the realistic maximum. “Flat Screen” has a blind zone within 3NM of the antenna.

The financial difficulties of the Russian navy after the USSR’s breakup meant that the cruiser Kerch was the only ship to receive the radar. In 1993, the Russian government cleared the system for export and JSC Salyut displayed it at an arms expo in the UAE; however the export market is obviously limited for a radar this large and expensive and no sales resulted.