A screen capture from an informational video produced and released by the Ukrainian Air Force's 138th. Radio-Technical Brigade “Dnieper Ukraine” shows one of the brigade's 35D6M radar stations. The contrast between the base green paint on the radar complex and the brown of the fall/winter terrain emphasizes that this is a information production and not a shot of the complex in actual active deployment. Had it been, the 35D6M would have been easily spotted by Russian reconnaissance UAVs and targeted for destruction. The 35D6M is a modernization of the Soviet 19Zh6 (NATO reporting name Tin Shield) medium-range, 3D air defense radar which entered service in the early 1980s. The modernization program was undertaken by the Iskra Research & Production Complex, a part of Ukroboronprom, with the first 35D6M being delivered in the spring of 2021.
According to Ukroboronprom, the modernization program updated the antenna apparatus, saw the installation of improved system and operating software, and the fashioning of a cabin that includes a total rework of the radar operator's stations and the fitting of a HVAC system. The complete details of the modernization isn't specified in articles, likely for operational security. Iskra took 19Zh6 radar complexes and completely took them apart. After the complete disassembly, all components were inspected and those parts that were to be re-used were refurbished before being reassembled with the updated parts as outlined above. It was said that the modernization of a single 19Zh6 into a 35D6M was not a quick process. The result is, again according to Ukroboronprom, a complex that has increased operational range, improved target data and trajectory acquisition, reduced maintenance requirements, and the extension of the complex's service life. As the various articles leave out the exact performance capability of the 35D6M, what follows are the specifications of the 19Zh6 radar.
As mentioned, the 19Zh6 is a medium-range, 3D radar. The 3D (3 dimensions) means the radar provides the usual range and azimuth coordinates but adds the elevation coordinates and with all three, target tracking is far more precise. The radar itself uses a frequency-controlled, phased array antenna and it operates in the E- and F-band frequencies (2,850 to 3,200 MHz). Four transmitters generate overlapping wave patterns which improves altitude calculations. Pulse power is 3.2 kW as an average but can run as high as 350 kW. The Russian Wikipedia mentions the 35D6M as having a target detection range of 29 miles at low altitude and 108 miles at medium or high altitudes. There was no source provided with which to verify the data. Speaking of low altitude, the 19Zh6 and the 35D6M are optimized for low altitude target detection as the radar is resistant to active and passive jamming but is also able to filter out strong ground reflection (more often called clutter) from terrain, buildings, and other stationary objects. Finally, the radar is able to work effectively in all weather conditions. The radar antenna spins either at 5-6 revolutions per minute (rpm) or 10 to 12 rpm. The complex features BITE (Build-In Test Equipment) which permits rapid fault detection. The exact crew size for the entire complex isn't known but is likely between 7 to 10 men which would include at most 5 radar operators/technicians, at least two tractor drivers, and the remainder being mechanics to maintain the equipment. From the halt, it takes a trained crew 1 hour to bring the radar into action.
The full 35D6M complex includes a 6BP power plant which houses two DGM 4-60-T0230-TS/400 diesel generators along with a PSTS-100 converter. The power plant sits inside a KP10 box body which is set on a MAZ-5224V 2-axle trailer chassis. The unit provides the power to the radar and its associated systems. The radar system and the 6II cabin sit on a MAZ-938 series 2-axle semi-trailer which has a maximum load capacity of 13.5 tons. The radar array is mounted on a 40V6M tower mast. The vehicle hitched to the MAZ-938 is a KrAZ-255V tractor. Besides the KrAZ-255V, the KrAZ-260V can also be utilized as a tow vehicle for both the semi-trailer and the 6BP.
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