P-18 (Spoon Rest D) Russian Mobile 2D VHF Radar

The P-18, also known as the 1RL131 Terek and designated as "Spoon Rest D" by NATO, is a 2D VHF radar developed and operated by the former Soviet Union. It is an early warning radar that evolved from the earlier P-12 radar, officially entering service in 1970 after the successful completion of its development program. The P-18 was created by the SKB Design Bureau, a division of State Plant No.197 named after V. I. Lenin, which also developed the P-12 radar. In 1979, a new secondary IFF radar, the 1L22 "Parol," was introduced to complement the P-18. Unlike its predecessor, the NRS-12 (NATO "Score Board"), the new interrogator was mounted on a separate truck. The P-18 remains in active service today and has been widely exported. Numerous companies offer upgrade options to enhance its performance and reliability, as well as to replace outdated components. One such upgrade package from NNIIRT includes the installation of a solid-state transmitter and receiver, automatic jammer suppression equipment, and PC-based signal processing, testing, and interface equipment. Depending on the manufacturer, modification, and radar nationality, these upgraded versions of the P-18 may be referred to as the P-18M, P-18-1, or P-18-2. The P-18 was eventually surpassed by the 1L13 "Nebo" VHF surveillance radar in 1984. Currently, the Russian-Belarusian company Defense Systems provides upgrades for P-18 radars. Additionally, Retia, a Czech civil and military electronics company, has developed a fundamental modernization of the P-18 called ReVEAL. This upgraded version is now solid-state, digitized, and equipped with an enhanced IFF system, while also retaining compatibility with the legacy IFF. The entire system is repackaged into a standard container and has already been sold in several dozen units. --- Additional Data (TRADOC ODIN WEG) --- Frequency: 150–180 MHz (VHF, NATO Band B) Antenna Dimensions: 7 x 3 m Associated Weapon Systems: С-75 (S-75): В-750 / V-750; С-125 (S-125): 5В24 / 5V24 Role: Early Warning/Surveillance Remarks: Most exported VHF radar --- From Radartutorial.eu (https://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/11.ancient/karte049.en.html) --- The P-18 “Spoon Rest D” (Russian designator: 1RL131 “Terek” ; Cyrillic: 1РЛ131 «Терек») is a general-purpose early warning radar operating in the VHF band . The radar is a further development of the P-12 radar and uses its concept of antenna, transmitter, and receiver. The antenna received four additional Yagi antennas for a narrower antenna pattern. The duplexer was changed because the power splitting between the two antenna planes is made directly in the antenna. The receive path received a low noise preamplifier, initially a traveling wave tube , and later a solid-state amplifier. In the receiver path, some blocks were carried over from the P-12 but got additional built-in electronic switches based on field-effect transistors for remote control. The radar signal processing after Moving Target Indication (MTI), synchronous pulse generation, and the coupling system were transistorized. Later versions that didn’t use in the former GDR received a digital MTI system, which was also offered internationally as a retrofit kit. The blocks of trigger pulse generation, potential storage tubes , and the compensation block are replaced by the new system. The display of the radar data in the basic version happens on two PPI scopes , one of which can be replaced up to 500 m away with all remote control options. For test purposes, there is also an A- Scope. The control of the antenna rotation is a servo-following system with multiple control inputs. It can thus work synchronously with other radar stations, which can then display the video of the P-18 in addition to or instead of their echo signal. Likewise, the evaluation of the foreign echoes can take place in the P-18 or from its remote display unit. The inventory of a P-18 always includes a secondary radar unit. Depending on the scope of delivery, this is either a simple coded NRS-12 or a more complex “Parol” system. While the NRS-12 can still be loaded into the P-18, the “Parol” system requires an additional truck with a trailer. The P-18 can be moved very quickly. It is mounted on two all-terrain trucks (Ural), each with a two-axle trailer. The radar is mainly used in the Eastern European area and the Third World for ManPADs (Strela, Igla). It is also used for larger missile emplacements (e.g.: coupled with a height finder ) as a target assignment radar for the AA-missile complex SA-2 “Guideline”.