APA Update
APA is very pleased to release multiple incremental updates:
- Updated and expanded Technical Report APA-TR-2009-0503 (40N6 / S-400 Triumf Self Propelled Air Defence System / SA-21 ): http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-S-400-Triumf.html#mozTocId422270
- Updated Technical Report APA-TR-2009-0502 (S-300PMU2 Favorit / SA-20 Gargoyle) with new imagery: http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-S-300PMU2-Favorit.html
- Updated Technical Report APA-TR-2008-0602 (Warsaw Pact / Russian Air Defence Command Posts) with new imagery and 54K6E2/55K6 analysis: http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-Rus-ADCP-CP.html
Observations:
The S-400 / SA-21 design analysis is based on translation of a 2008 VKO Russian language paper by Almaz-Antey chief designers on this project, and contains a lot of content never before published in English language literature. It confirms a number of expectations about the system, and expands on the technical description.
Significant is the major effort invested into integration of the SA-21 battle management system, which is designed to control all IADS elements in its footprint. This is a defacto "shrinkwrapped IADS" and Almaz-Antey are offering integration with legacy and third party systems for export clients.
The technology advances in the SA-21 are also important, these include a digital multimode engagement radar with many capabilities typically associated with Western AESA digital radars on fighters, and interesting refinements such as jam, eavesdrop and penetration resistant millimetre wave band pencil beam datalinks for connecting key battle management system components. Key components use the NK Orientir precision geolocation system, which can align battery components with 6 minutes of arc accuracy.
No less interesting is the use of Russian manufactured RISC architecture SPARC technology embedded computers in all core system components - developed by Sun Microsystems in San Jose during the 1990s, these are respectable computing engines - I designed several computers around such CPUs during the 1990s and they clearly have the performance to do the kind of top end functions Almaz-Antey describe. All the software is based on Western COTS standards like C language. This is comparable technology to the US Bold Stroke effort to embed COTS RISC in existing systems.
The SA-21 is clearly a fusion of evolved classical Russian missile and radar designs, with state-of-the-art Western digital computing, networking and software technology. This is not your father's SA-10 Grumble, let alone grandpa's SA-2 Guideline!
The fervently held belief in some circles that the SA-21 is easy to penetrate is clearly absolute nonsense - this is the nastiest SAM system we have seen to date, globally, and the network centric and open system architecture approach taken in its development shows that it will evolve, and do so rapidly. In many key respects the SA-21 is superior in basic technology to the MIM-104 Patriot, and the ICT components of the system are comparable to latest US and EU products.
Late last year the system was cleared for export.