The Ukrainian military claims to have struck a Russian radar station using a US-supplied long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).
Without providing the date and location of the strike, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said the target was housing the Nebo-M radar system, which is capable of detecting fifth-generation aircraft and long-range ballistic missiles.
With the strike, Kyiv hopes to diminish Moscow’s ability to detect, track, and intercept aerodynamic and ballistic targets.
“The destruction of the Nebo-M radar will create a favorable ‘air corridor’ for the effective use of Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles,” the announcement stated. “The combat operations of the defense forces against important enemy targets continue.”
Russia is believed to have only 10 operational Nebo-M radar systems remaining.
Video of a training exercise in the Urals with a Nebo-M radar system.https://t.co/R5Jx0bXkPB pic.twitter.com/PoYEieTNQ4
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) January 14, 2020
A Complex Target
In service since 2017, the Nebo-M is a sophisticated radar system that integrates the inputs from three separate radars across multiple wave bands.
It can reportedly detect targets at a distance of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, each Nebo-M costs over $100 million.
It is also considered a “very complex target to hit” due to its ability to operate in stealth mode while scanning the horizon.
Apparent Success
Earlier this year, the US State Department confirmed that it had secretly sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for use within its territory.
The weapon has achieved numerous successes on the battlefield, including a strike in May on a Russian troop concentration around 78 kilometers (48 miles) from the frontline.
In June, Russia reported that an ATACMS attack on annexed Crimea killed four people and wounded more than 100.
Moscow blamed the strike on the US, which supplied the weapons to Kyiv.
