The key facts

  • A radar with three 500 m antennas has been built near Gvardeysk in Kaliningrad — The Times, citing satellite images
  • Estimated detection range is from 885 to 3,200 km; the configuration indicates an over-the-horizon radar
  • Kaliningrad borders the NATO members Poland and Lithuania

New radar station in Kaliningrad

Russia has built a large radar installation in its western exclave of Kaliningrad that, according to British media, is capable of detecting aircraft, missiles and ships at a distance of up to 3,200 kilometres (2,000 miles). The Times reported this on Monday, citing satellite images. According to the newspaper, the system could expand Moscow's surveillance capabilities in Northern and Western Europe, including the United Kingdom.

Location and characteristics

The installation is located near the town of Gvardeysk in the Kaliningrad region — a heavily militarised Russian territory bordering the NATO members Poland and Lithuania. According to The Times, the facility includes three diverging antenna arrays, each 500 metres (1,640 feet) long.

Presumably an over-the-horizon radar

The configuration of the facility, the newspaper notes, indicates that it may be an over-the-horizon (OTH) radar — a technology designed to detect targets beyond the line of sight of conventional radars. Such systems use high-frequency radio waves reflected off the ionosphere, which makes it possible to detect targets at significantly greater distances than conventional radars. The radar's stated range is estimated at between 885 and 3,200 kilometres (550–2,000 miles), potentially allowing Russia to track military activity across a significant part of Europe.

The strategic significance of Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad is of strategic importance to Moscow due to its position on the Baltic Sea, between Poland and Lithuania — both of which are NATO members.