A great break down of Iran's defences around nuclear sites

[Jigs]

Planeman's Military Analysis: Advanced Russian Radar site defending Iranian Nuclear Facility



These are all made by Planeman and i take no credit for them.



Friday, April 23, 2010
Advanced Russian Radar site defending Iranian Nuclear Facility
I have previously found 2 KASTA-2E2 radar sites at Natanz, presumably to provide search radar functionality to the SA-15 SAM sites there.

There is also a recently deployed radar which until now I had not been able to identify - now that I've found a strong match, it seems obvious I wonder how I didn't ID it earlier.

The relatively high frequency of imagery updates in Google Earth covering the location show that the radar site was established between May and September 2009, and remained at the same location for at least a month. In all likelihood it is a semi-permanent location making it susceptible to attack.

It's a Nebo family radar, probably a variant of the NNIIRT 1L13 Nebo SV VHF acquisition radar.

The site is in the high ground to the west of Natanz. The long cigar shaped vehicle in the Google Earth satellite imagery is the Nebo. The cab is at the left (Western) end. The radar cover has been slid to the rear of the trailer, creating an extremely long overhang. The shadow of the massive radar array can be seen to the north of the radar truck, giving the illusion of a mast. The general layout of the radar truck (generic):

The radar rotates causing its shadow to vary depending on its position at the moment of the image.

The vehicle to the south with what appears to be a petrol generator, is the probably the command vehicle. The Nebo also has a generator.

A Nebo radar matching the above image was recently paraded in Iran:




Source: www.military.ir

The Yagi antenna facing upwards is the rear facing side-lobe cancelling array. To deploy the shelter is slid further aft and the supporting tower pivots at its base, rising upwards towards the rear. The base of the mast is likely centred between the support legs which are deployed to provide a stable base. The array is then deployed by means of concertina hydraulic arms.

The Nebo series are versatile, generic, search radars which can be integrated into a number of Russian systems, including potentially Iranian S-300 batteries if/when they become operational.

The Nebo site is about 3.3km (2 miles) from the Natanz complex (orange box):

Also shown are two Kasta radars (ID disputed), and another unidentified radar site further east. The east-most Kasta site also has a SPOON REST radar variant present. The triangle show SAM sites:
Pale green = SA-15
Green = SA-6
Orange = I-Hawk
White = vacant
(Most SAM sites found and ID'd by Sean O'Connor)

The below image shows these sites in relation to the inner and outer AAA rings (yellow). The inner band is mostly single Zu-23 23mm AAA sites with several Skyguard 35mm AAA sites mixed in, and the outer
ring consists of KS-19 100mm (modified, fully automated) AAA sites with light (probably 23mm) and 35mm AAA sites filling gaps. Both AAA rings are of unrivalled density presenting almost solid walls of flak. The south is higher ground but only has the occasional AAA site, and there is, as of late 2009, a gap in the western side of the outer ring which we can assume has since been filled.

 

[Jigs]

Planeman's Military Analysis: Iran's Natanz nuclear facility: Air Defence update

Iran's Natanz nuclear facility: Air Defence update
Last updated 16th Feb 2010 with Kasta 2E2 radar sites.

In its most recent update of Imagery, Google Earth includes more coverage of Iran's Natanz facility, showing slightly more of the northern and western outer ring. On the west side, another SA-6 site is located matching the one previously identified on the eastern side of the facility. The pink boxes show the newly confirmed sites.

UPDATE Feb 2010
Well, GE have blessed us with another update of Natanz imagery which shows the Western outer ring in more detail. Still no recent imagery of the northern section but seems probable that it links to Western section.

Discovery: As of 1st Oct 2009 the outer ring is still under construction. There is a relatively large gap in the outer ring on the western side. The Southern side of the box remains virtually open, presumably because of the high mountains there. The screen shot is messy because there are so many AAA sites placemarked...

These are the air defenses set up around Natanz Iran's main site.


There are at least 10 sites of a new 'signature' with 4 firing positions arranged in a line. This is most likely the upgraded Soviet-era KS-19 100mm AAA artillery which is fully automated and has a range of about 10km; much further than other AAA. Unmodified KS-19 would be thoroughly obsolete, but the Iranian automation upgrade makes a very credible SHORAD system in my opinion, albeit still some way short of typical battlefield SAM systems such as SA-15 which Iran also possesses.

One of the SA-15 sites, on the west of the facility, is built over a 35mm AAA site

The SA-6 site has three TELs and a Straight-flush radar. This is the first SA-6 site I have seen in Iran.

 

[shining eyes]

veryyy strong air defences aren't they?
hell for air attackers??

 

[Jigs]

veryyy strong air defences aren't they?
hell for air attackers??

Enough to give any low flying aircraft alot of trouble and high flying aircraft's that are not stealth will get picked up by radar only to be dodging missiles being launched at them.

 

[graphican]

I am delighted to see how Iran has made necessary arrangements to defend its rightful nuclear deterrence. I am waiting for the day when the world would come to know that Iran has 5 nuclear bombs ready and sufficient capacity to destroy any hostile country.

May God bless Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and all the Muslim and other counties of the world who want to live with peace. Muslims have seen enough of WAT imposed upon us and have lost millions of people so that Americans could win another election.

 

[gambit]

veryyy strong air defences aren't they?

Compared to what/whose?

hell for air attackers??

No.

 

[gambit]

Enough to give any low flying aircraft alot of trouble and high flying aircraft's that are not stealth will get picked up by radar only to be dodging missiles being launched at them.

Against US...???

 

[Jigs]

It isn't hell for attackers? Wonder why the south doesn't take out the Norths outdated AAA systems.

Fact is this can be hell for any low flying aircraft trying to avoid radar detection. These are also automated AAA systems along with a number of SAM batteries played through out. Unless you welcome aircraft getting destroyed while the remaining ones hit targets you need to go stealth.

Remember what happened when the Serbs got lucky.

 

[Jigs]

Against US...???

You know what will happen if the U.S. gets involved "B-2s" refer to one of my earlier posts.

I was referring to Israel btw.

 

[gambit]

It isn't hell for attackers? Wonder why the south doesn't take out the Norths outdated AAA systems.

Fact is this can be hell for any low flying aircraft trying to avoid radar detection. These are also automated AAA systems along with a number of SAM batteries played through out. Unless you welcome aircraft getting destroyed while the remaining ones hit targets you need to go stealth.

How is it 'hell' for low flying aircrafts when they are below the radar horizon?

Remember what happened when the Serbs got lucky.

Luck? You would make a very armchair general, let alone a real soldier. No military leadership rely on fortune. The Serbs? NATO flew tens of thousands sorties over Yugoslavia and lost two aircrafts: one F-16 and one F-117. Is that a combat record to boast about? Perhaps with you as a general.

 

[James007]

i think u.s have every kind of fighter to deal with every kind of situation

 

[Jigs]

Besides the cover and visibility problems, flying low was dangerous because it put planes down where small arms fire is and some of the deadliest AAA would have you in their sites. This isn't Iraq where you hit up one site and come home while a poorly trained and unprepared force scrambles to put up some kind of defense and by that time your long gone.

You think the 23mm AAA would sit there ?

Egypt showed what it could do with Russian AAA to low flying Israeli aircraft.

 

[Jigs]

i think u.s have every kind of fighter to deal with every kind of situation

This was my point too. B-2s would take off and hit all the targets to there hearts content. But non stealth aircraft would have trouble.

 

[JonAsad]

does israel have b2's ??

 

[gambit]

Besides the cover and visibility problems, flying low was dangerous because it put planes down where small arms fire is and some of the deadliest AAA would have you in their sites. This isn't Iraq where you hit up one site and come home while a poorly trained and unprepared force scrambles to put up some kind of defense and by that time your long gone.

You think the 23mm AAA would sit there ?

Egypt showed what it could do with Russian AAA to low flying Israeli aircraft.

Buddy...You are, and I hate to say it, ignorant. That is not to insult you but to say the truth. High speed photography, meaning the target and the camera, is possible ONLY IF the shooter is aware of the incoming race car. Now substitute the camera with a gun. The only time ground forces can direct their guns is when they are aware of the approaching threat. Aircrafts flying below radar horizon severely compress that response time. Not only that, fighter-bombers can do what is called 'toss bombing'...

Toss bombing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Science: Loft Bombing - TIME

Science: Loft Bombing
Monday, Sep. 24, 1956

Problem: how to drop an atom bomb from treetop level—and live to file a report. The solution of this esoteric flying problem is a scientific version of the "toss-bombing" that was used in the Korean war, when pilots of fighter-bombers released their bombs with an upward flip of the plane so that the bomb was tossed into caves sheltering enemy troops. Both Air Force and Navy have been working to upgrade toss bombing into a way of dishing out atom bombs safely. Last week a little information about the new technique was made public.

Look at the date of the Time article. The USAF have been practicing this technique for decades. Even with 'dumb' bombs, we can toss them for dozens of km. Now with GPS guided weapons, the defense are even more uncertain which direction the bombs will come. You are not debating high schoolers here.