Product Description
Design and Operation
Core Technology and Functionality
The Type 704 radar is a pulse counter-battery radar operating in the I/J-band from 8 to 20 GHz, designed primarily for artillery location and fire correction.[5][1] It utilizes a truck-mounted phased array antenna capable of 360-degree coverage through a combination of electronic scanning and mechanical rotation, enabling rapid scanning of battlefield areas for incoming projectiles.[6][2][4]Key hardware components include a high-power transmitter, a sensitive receiver incorporating low-noise amplifiers to enhance signal detection amid clutter, and integrated digital signal processing systems that analyze returns in real time. The transmitter employs a traveling wave tube for amplification, supporting pulse emissions suitable for detecting fast-moving targets like artillery shells.[2]In terms of functionality, the system tracks projectile trajectories by detecting echoes from shell fragments or direct radar returns from munitions in flight, employing algorithms to model parabolic flight paths and back-calculate firing positions, with an instrumented range of 16 km and location accuracy of 30 meters. A foundational approach to range estimation adapts the basic parabolic equation, such as r=v⋅ta2, where r is the range, v is initial velocity, and ta is time to apex, modified for artillery-specific factors like drag and elevation. This enables the radar to determine enemy battery locations and compute impact errors for friendly fire, outputting correction data to improve accuracy.[4][1][2]Mobility is a core feature, with the system truck-mounted for rapid deployment and supporting fully automated tracking modes once operational. This configuration facilitates quick repositioning to avoid counter-battery fire while maintaining continuous surveillance.[4]
Detection Capabilities and Modes
The Type 704 radar employs advanced scanning modes to provide flexible coverage for counter-battery operations, including sector scans up to 90 degrees for focused surveillance and full 360-degree searches for comprehensive azimuthal monitoring. Its elevation coverage spans up to 30 degrees, enabling effective detection of artillery trajectories.[7]The system is optimized to detect a variety of target types, such as guns, howitzers, multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), and mortars, through sophisticated discrimination techniques including velocity gating and Doppler shift analysis. This allows for reliable identification of incoming threats amid clutter.[8][6]In its fire correction role, the Type 704 relays real-time trajectory data to counter-battery fire control systems, supporting multi-target tracking to enhance responsive counterfire accuracy.[5][8][6]As the baseline model for the Type 704 series, these capabilities form the foundation for subsequent variants.