The Armed Forces of Ukraine may soon adopt a new type of electronic intelligence (ELINT) station from a domestic manufacturer, the system is now in its testing stage of development. The details about the new device were shared by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov.
The new ELINT station was named RPS-7 Inhul, as mentioned, it is designed to detect enemy radar and anti-aircraft system positions, and hostile aircraft.
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During the tests, the RPS-7 Inhul managed to detect a russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft in the skies over the Sea of Azov east of Crimea, it was flying 250 km afar from the station. Another notable target seen by the sensors was the Il-22 airborne command post. But there were others as well:
"We saw tactical [aviation] every day, there are lots of it flying there. … We saw the work of the Tor [missile system], the work of the Zooprak [radar system], the work of the Osa [missile system]," said one of the RPS-7 Inhul station operators in the video.
There are not many specifics about the new development except for Reznikov's words that it is "a very compact and lightweight construction, like a mini Kolchuha:
"I'm convinced that such mobile systems are very necessary for the Defense Forces [of Ukraine] in general. That's why I'm thrilled and hopeful that soon we will receive an official report from the brigade that will be using it," the minister said.
Reznikov mentioned that the prototype was handed over to the Ukrainian Army for testing free of charge, and more tests are coming for the RPS-7 Inhul; only after that the system would be approved and adopted by the Ukrainian military, later procured on a contract basis.
As for the Kolchuha (Kolchuga) system which he compared the new station to, Defense Express reminds that this is an automated station for passive signal intelligence, classified as electronic support measures (ESM) system.
The Kolchuha-M modification has a range of 600 km when viewing deep, or 150 km when observing the frontline. The station is also claimed to be capable of detecting a target flying at 10 km altitude within an 800 km radius. The maximum number of targets it can see simultaneously is 200.
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