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Chinese Military Radar

Air defense radar is military electronic equipment that uses electromagnetic waves to detect targets. The electromagnetic waves it emits illuminate the target and receive its echoes, thereby discovering the target and determining the position, direction and speed of movement, and other characteristics.

Fire control radar refers to the radar used to aim and control the gun or interceptor missile. Fire control is a process of comprehensive and effective use of the entire weapon system through a computer system. Fire control issues are generally mentioned only on integrated weapon platforms such as airplanes and warships (all carrying multiple concurrent weapons). For a single soldier or a system with only one main weapon (no concurrent system), there is no fire control, and it is generally called a guidance system. Fire control radar is the eyes and ears of the weapon system. It can realize early warning scanning search through radar, obtain the radar information of the defense zone, and comprehensively analyze the information, classify the target, group it and give the threat coefficient to the unit, propose weapon selection and target attack Suggestions. Of course, it depends on the operator whether or not the analysis is done according to the fire control system. After the operator obtains the permission to fire, he will start the attack according to the automatically or manually selected attack method or weapon type. At this time, the radar will first lock the specific target.

Since the 21st century, ground-based air defense radar technology has continued to mature. In the ground air defense radar systems of various countries , various technical systems such as active phased array, three-coordinates, and over-the-horizon line of sight have formed a trend of blooming. Moreover, in the face of more and more aerial threats, countries spare no expense to develop and equip various long-range warning radars, guidance radars, target indication radars, short-range low-level surveillance and blinding radars to create powerful and seamless ground air defense radars The internet. Because of its wide range of uses, air defense radars can be divided into strategic air defense surveillance radars and tactical air defense radars. The former is used for long-range and ultra-long-range surveillance of ballistic missiles and high-speed threat targets in the air. The latter is used for mid-range and short-range air surveillance, and some long-range surveillance radars fall into this category.

In order to deal with the four major threats of future electronic interference, anti-radiation missiles, low-altitude penetration and stealth aircraft, ground-based air defense surveillance radars must innovate and make breakthroughs in order to develop new systems and new technologies in order to continue to survive in increasingly complex combat environments.

Designers have gradually abandoned the parabolic reflector antenna and adopt a multi-functional phased array system in an all-round way, which not only improves the radar's combat range and expands the number of radar targets, but also enters a new level of radar survivability and reliability.

Low-frequency air defense radars are gaining popularity again. Among the four major threats of modern radar, anti-radiation missiles and stealth aircraft are undoubtedly the biggest trouble. Due to the wavelength characteristics of the low-frequency radar, the tracking accuracy of the anti-radiation missile is greatly reduced, and the stealth effect of the stealth aircraft is also greatly reduced. Therefore, there has been a tendency to pay attention to the development of low-frequency air defense radars in foreign countries in recent years.

YLC-8 meter-wave radar The "binary stars" of China's anti-stealth radars were unveiled in November 2024 at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China). At the airshow, the 14th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) displayed two anti-stealth radars including the YLC-8E high-mobility anti-stealth air defense warning radar and the YLC-2E S-band long range multi-role radar. Though designed through different technical routes, the radars both have powerful anti-stealth capabilities, earning them the fame of the "binary stars" in the field of anti-stealth radars. As the eyes on the battlefield, radars play a core role in anti-stealth operations as the key to penetrating the "stealth cover" of stealth fighters. Traditionally, the main solution to counter stealth technology is to detect stealth targets through frequency bands, which is commonly referred to as meter-wave radar. Because of its long electromagnetic wavelength, the wave will form a "diffraction" phenomenon after striking the stealth aircraft, bringing it the natural advantage of detecting stealth targets. This feature has been verified in practice. The 14th Research Institute of CETC, hailed as China's "anti-stealth radar flagship store", has introduced to the international markets its YLC-8B, YLC-8E, SLC-7 and other radar products, most of which are the commonly called meter-wave radars. Among them, the YLC-8B, after making its debut in 2016, is known as the flagship model of China's anti-stealth radars with its powerful anti-stealth performance. The YLC-8E is an upgrade based on the YLC-8B. The low frequency band radar itself has anti-stealth capabilities, but previous radars have difficulties in meeting the requirements of anti-stealth operations in the new situation due to its large size, low mobility and outdated automation level. The YLC-8E successfully overcame such shortcomings and became the world's first mobile UHF stealth target detection radar. The YLC-8E successfully implemented the anti-stealth radar design concept of combining frequency bands and energy anti-stealth designs by means of applying the new generation semiconductor technology, improved single-channel transmission power and advanced technical systems and algorithms, thereby ensuring a strong anti-stealth capability. These strengths make it an advanced anti-stealth radar product that achieves the extreme design and performance of traditional meter-wave radars. YLC-2E: Non-meter-wave anti-stealth radar The "binary stars" of China's anti-stealth radars were unveiled in November 2024 at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China). At the airshow, the 14th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) displayed two anti-stealth radars including the YLC-8E high-mobility anti-stealth air defense warning radar and the YLC-2E S-band long range multi-role radar. Though designed through different technical routes, the radars both have powerful anti-stealth capabilities, earning them the fame of the "binary stars" in the field of anti-stealth radars. The YLC-2E radar made its debut at the airshow. Getting rid of the reliance on low frequency band or meter-wave radar like traditional stealth radars, it becomes the first non-meter-wave high-performance anti-stealth product in the international market. The frequency band or meter-wave anti-stealth radar still has its advantages. In addition to its natural technological advantages, its relatively low cost makes it an essential player in the anti-stealth warning system. Due to the physical limitations, however, meter-wave radars have some deficiencies in detection accuracy. To solve the problem, the 14th Research Institute of CETC tried to get rid of the shackles of the "anti-stealth only by meter-wave radar" concept and eliminate the reliance of anti-stealth radar on low frequency bands. Eventually, it rolled out the first non-meter-wave anti-stealth radar in the international military trade market, the YLC-2E. Even without frequency band anti-stealth advantages like such radars as the YLC-8E, the YLC-2E has more advantages in energy. A large number of high-power radar T/R components can be placed on the radar array surface equivalent to the half of a standard badminton court area, yielding extremely high energy application efficiency through optimized design to enable the radar antenna to produce amazingly great energy, which creates the hardware basis for energy anti-stealth. As for the hardware basis, the YLC-2E uses intelligent algorithm software to optimize the radar's scheduling of target detection, ensuring that the radar can identify small stealth targets in the vast sky and have a powerful performance of anti-interference. In short, through robust radar energy and advanced algorithms, neither of which can be neglected, the YLC-2E achieves powerful anti-stealth capabilities. The YLC-2E has a detection effect comparable to traditional frequency band anti-stealth radars such as the YLC-8B and the YLC-8E, as well as a similar stealth target detection range. According to Chinese experts, the YLC-2E is not substitutional but complementary to the frequency band anti-stealth radars such as the YLC-8B and the YLC-8E. The meter-wave and other low frequency band radars have cost advantages, while the YLC-2E has more comprehensive performance and diversified applications, which can support anti-stealth operational systems more efficiently.