MP-401 (“Bell Shroud”) ESM

(USSR)

Notes: This ESM system is carried by a number of Soviet warship classes. It consists of two arrays, a larger canted semi-cylinder and a much smaller circular radome topped by a nib. Usually the two arrays are mounted together as seen above, but on some Sovremennyy class destroyers the smaller radome is mounted separately nearby; it is unknown why.

It’s estimated that the smaller radome is a general-purpose warning set (with the nib being a basic single omnidirectional warner) while the larger set performs analysis and direction-finding. Other sources state that each radome operates identically but at different frequency bands.

The system was installed the “Mod-Kashin” destroyers, on some (but not all) Sovremennyy and “Udaloy” destroyers, and many “Krivak” frigates plus a wide variety of ad hoc installations on other types, such as Smetlivyy, the final “Kashin” class destroyer remaining in Russian Federation service. It appears to be a successor system to the “Bell Clout” system, and is often integrated with “Bell Squat“ antennas.

USERS: USSR/Russian Federation, India, Poland, Ukraine