LRT joins the fundraising campaign Radarom! to buy air surveillance systems for Ukraine that would help the country spot and prepare for Russian attacks. What is the technology behind these radars and how will they benefit the war effort?
Aleksandras Matonis, editor of the LRT TV programme Battlefield, notes that Ukraine’s air surveillance system has been “badly broken” and the country is having to make do with what he describes as old Soviet-built radars.
Threats on the battlefield can be communicated in time if the right tools are in place, the expert stresses. Modern radars made in Israel could be such a tool. “The radars, which are to be bought with the help of the Lithuanian people, would help to better inform the Ukrainian population about attacks. This is extremely modern technology. It is one of the most advanced in the world,” Matonis told LRT TV.
“It is quite compact and can be placed on the roof of any building. For example, on top of a power station or a hospital. And if it is connected to the common air surveillance network, the operator will not only receive information about missiles, such as cruise missiles or other missiles, but will also see information about mortar fire. This radar and its algorithms have the ability to distinguish between a bird in flight and a drone,” according to Matonis.
Alerting the Ukrainians to the danger can reduce the damage from a missile or drone attack. “Or disconnect the electricity to reduce the impact on a distribution node or transformer,” adds Andrius Vilkauskas, a defence technology expert at Kaunas University of Technology.
If, say, an Iranian drone used by Russia is spotted at a distance of 20 kilometres, there are 15 minutes to do something: “There is plenty of time to evacuate from the dangerous object.”
The Ukrainians are learning how to shoot at drones – experts say such defences are the more effective the earlier the drone is spotted.
“Within five minutes, knowing the direction from which it is coming, while still in contact with the radar operator, you can take a position and intercept it and shoot it down somewhere in the vicinity,” Vilkauskas tells LRT TV.
Jonas Ohman, founder of Blue/Yellow, has previously said that the radars from Israel are unique in that they can detect all types, sizes and speeds of objects moving in the sky. “Conventional radars are not designed to track small and low-flying objects. Russian missiles and drones pose a mortal threat to Ukrainian defenders and civilians. These radars will go a long way in preventing Russian death squads,” he says.
Tomas Matulevičius, former head of the military training mission in Ukraine, told LRT TV that the radar has a 90-degree angle and “it is impossible to go above or below”.
Radar prices vary widely, from under half a million to over 1.5. According to Matonis, the ones that are to be purchased with donated funds are cheaper than the large, traditional radars installed on high towers.
“The price depends on the size. [...] If we can get everyone to donate 5 euros, we might be able to buy not one set, but several. Then maybe they could be placed around larger sites or cities. The Ukrainians would certainly know where to put them,” he says.
According to Matonis, it is possible for the Russians to locate the radars, but the Ukrainians have learnt how to use them in a smart way.
“They activate them according to a certain algorithm, or there are radars that can operate in passive mode and then switch to active mode. [...] There are a lot of sensitivities that civilians are not very familiar with, but the military would know how to use them,” he stresses.
At the same time, experts stress that radars are only one part of the air defence system.
“Radars are the first system to quickly and efficiently track a target and automatically prepare other systems to destroy it,” says Matulevicius, former head of the military training mission in Ukraine.
Organisers of the Radarom! campaign expected to raise 5 million euro to buy radars for Ukraine. The first advanced surveillance equipment is expected to reach Ukraine at the beginning of the campaign.
Donations of 5 euros can be made by calling 1482. More information on how to donate is available at radarom.lt/en.
