Khibiny (electronic countermeasures system)

Khibiny (L-175V) (Хибины) (Л-175В) is Soviet / Russian aircraft electronic countermeasures (ECM) system.

The system is designed for radio direction-finding and probing signal source irradiation allowing it to distort reflected signal parameters. This helps to

Su-34 with ECM modules "Khibiny" on the wing tips

• Delay aircraft detection;
• Mask the true subject against false reflections;
• Cause range finding difficulties, namely in speed and angular positions;
• Degrading Maintenance Mode "on the aisle" when scanning antenna beam radar;
• Increase the time and difficulty of capturing an object during real-time active scanning.

History

The first work related to the creation ECM "Khibiny" began in the Kaluga Research Institute of Radio Engineering (KRIRE; Russian: Калужский научно-исследовательский радиотехнический институт) in 1977. The plan was to create a unified set of electronic countermeasures for all the armed forces, where the tasks for KRIRE was to develop SIGINT blocks of equipment "Proran" and radio jammer (RJ) "Regatta", which was successfully completed with protected of scientific research in 1980.^[1]

In 1982 KRIRE was entrusted with research and development activities, first with "Proran" and "Regatta", and after an ECM as a whole, which includes many developments on related topics (including the use of accumulated experience in the development of RJ " Sorption ", which was planned to be installed on the Su-27 ). When started research and development with new ECM, later named "Khibiny", it was intended to unite all the units, ensuring that they work closely with the Jets avionics.^[1]

ECM "Khibiny" wing tip module on Su-34

The first samples of "Khibiny" were far from ideal as to their weight and size parameters were not suitable for installation on the aircraft. To solve this problem KRIRE collaborated closely with Sukhoi, working under the direction of Rollan G. Martirosov. Collaborate on a plane integrated ECM (received code "product L-175V") bore little resemblance to the conventional practice in such cases. Typically, the manufacturer of equipment issues to aircraft design bureau specification for the placement of products that represent a complete set of design documents and makes recommendations on placement of its parts with the restrictions on the length of the connections between them. In this case, the equipment "Khibiny" was immediately inserted into the design of the aircraft under development. As a result of close co-operation by the end of the 1980s the first stage of R&D was completed.^[1] March 18, 2014 was adopted the fighter-bomber Su-34, equipped with electronic countermeasures complex L-175V "Khibiny".^[2]

In 2014, the Russian state-run news media outlets ran stories that claimed that in April 2014 an Su-24 equipped with Khibiny had disabled the Aegis Combat System of the USS Donald Cook, a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, then deployed in the Black Sea.^[3][4][5][6] The jamming claims were never directly refuted by the U.S. military and ignored by Western mainstream media; in February 2015, Khibiny jammer's Russian manufacturer KRET' website claimed that Khibiny had not been installed on Su-24 fighter jets.^[7]

References