Russian claims their SAM can down Stealth Aircraft... is it true ?
In late 2008, details emerged of a new multiband 3D radar system in development by NNIIRT, designated the Nebo M. The Nebo M is a radical departure from previous Russian designs.
The self-propelled Nebo M is a package of three discrete radars and a single processing and command van, all hosted on BZKT BAZ-6909-015 8 x 8 all terrain 24 tonne chassis, based on the same vehicle as the S-400 / SA-21 5P85TE2 TEL and the proposed wheeled SA-23 variant.
The Nebo M combines derivatives of three existing NNIIRT 3D radars, the VHF band Nebo SVU, the L-band Protivnik G and the S/X-band Gamma S1. While the NNIIRT slide (below) attributes the VHF component to the 55Zh6 Tall Rack, the actual antenna design is clearly based on the solid state Nebo SVU AESA design. The L-band component antenna has a reduced aperture size compared to the semi-trailer hosted 59N6E radar.
Available imagery of prototype hardware shows the VHF-band and L-band components, both of which were not previously available in self-propelled all terrain configurations, unlike the Gamma S1/S1E. The KU vehicle in the suite is the operator van. Each vehicle has an independent generator rated at 100 kiloWatts. All radar vehicles have an integrated hydraulic stow and deploy system for folding and unfolding the antenna, to support shoot-and-scoot operation, and all are equipped with dual mode GPS/Glonass navigation systems for this purpose. All radars are cited as solid state AESAs, with the capability to operate in an agile beam sector search/track regime, or in a conventional circular scan regime, with the antennas mechanically rotated.
The idea of integrating three radars, each operating in a discrete band, is novel and clearly intended to provide a counter-VLO capability. A track fusion system in the KU vehicle will be required, providing a capability analogous to the US Navy CEC (Cooperative Engagement Capability)system. This technology was previously developed for the Salyut Poima E track fusion system and is now becoming mature.
Available imagery of prototype Nebo M hardware shows the VHF band RLM-M system and L-band RLM-D system.
Technical details and marketing materials for the Nebo M have yet to be released, and what is available appears to be a controlled leak by the design office, which excludes details such as power ratings and component detection/track range and angle performance. Even if the Nebo M does not achieve production status in its intended configuration, the development of self propelled variants of the Nebo SVU and Protivnik G/GE low band radars is in itself a significant advancement, as both present as effective battery acquisition radars for the S-300PMU1/2, S-400 and a range of legacy SAM systems, hosted on the BAZ-6909 both radars acquire mobility to match other components of an S-300P/S-400 missile battery.
http://www.ausairpower.net/NNIIRT-Nebo-M-System-1S.png
The Nebo-M system is clearly designed to hunt the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The VHF-Band component of the system provides sector search and track functions, with the X-Band and L-Band components providing a fine track capability. By good placement of the radars relative to the threat axis, the L-Band and X-Band components illuminate the incoming target from angles where the target RCS is suboptimal. Attempts to jam the Nebo-M will be problematic, since all of these radars have a passive angle track capability against jammers, as a result of which usage of a jammer permits passive triangulation of the target using three angle track outputs. The RLM-S and RLM-D have better elevation tracking accuracy than the RLM-M, and therefore the Nebo M should be capable of producing high quality tracks suitable for midcourse guidance of modern SAMs and full trajectory guidance of legacy SAMs.