IAI: 그린파인 레이더, 운용 20주년을 맞다

 

May 24, 2017 – 이스라엘의 전술 탄도탄 조기경보 레이더인 그린파인은 운용 20주년을 맞았습니다. 또한, 최근에는 시리아의 미사일을 탐지해 에로우 2 (Arrow 2) 미사일로 요격에 성공하며, 체계의 성숙도를 보여주었습니다.

시대가 변함에 따라 1990년대에 처음 개발된 그린파인 레이더는 21세기형 미사일 위협에 맞서기 위해 진화해 왔습니다. 이스라엘은 1991년 1차 걸프전의 위협에 대응하여 방위 체계를 강화하는 데 힘썼으며, IAI의 자회사인 엘타사(ELTA Systems)는 32개월 만에 개발을 완성했습니다. 에로우 (Arrow) 미사일의 주요 센서로써 그린파인 레이더는 2003년 이스라엘의 국방 어워드를 수상했습니다.

그린파인은 수천 개의 T/R 유닛을 포함한 AESA를 탑재한 레이더이며, 동시에 수십 대의 원거리 전술 탄도 미사일을 탐지할 수 있습니다. 또한, 그린파인은 모든 표적을 탐지 후 전술 탄도 미사일을 구별해 내어 각 표적에 대한 정확한 발사지와 낙하지점을 식별해 낼 수 있습니다. 그린파인이 운용되고 있는 이스라엘과 한국에서 다양한 표적을 식별할 수 있는 성능이 증명되었습니다. 시시각각 변하는 위협에 대응하기 위해 엘타사의 개발자들은 지속해서 성능 향상에 힘쓰고 있으며, 그 결과 탐지범위 및 민감도를 개선한 슈퍼 그린파인(ELM-2080S)을 개발했습니다.

 

20 years after the deployment of Green Pine -

 

Israel’s strategic early warning radar - the system and its associated Arrow 2 missile defense weapon system was reported to score the first combat kill against a Syrian missile. The event underlined the high readiness and agility of the Arrow 2 system and its key sensor – the Green Pine radar.

 

Over the years, Green Pine of the 1990s have transformed to meet the threats of the 21st century. In the 1990s the Russian Scud represented the main threat, but today the missiles are different – they are faster, more agile and accurate. “The missile threat of the 20th century is different from those we face today.” says, the Green Pine Project Manager. “Our radar has followed this change and adapted, to meet new challenges and requirements with enhanced capabilities.”

 

Fielded in 1997 as part of the Arrow missile defense system, the Green Pine (designated ELM-2080) became fully operational a year later, in November 1998. The project was Israel’s answer to an urgent requirement that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) challenged Israel’s defense industries following the Iraqi missile attacks in 1991 first Gulf War. It was then - as it is today - one of the world’s most advanced early warning strategic radars.

 

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and its Group and Subsidiary ELTA Systems (IAI/ELTA) took up the challenge. Although it was the largest, most ambitious radar IAI/ELTA Systems has ever built at that time, the team turned the idea into an operational system in 32 months. The Arrow project with its Green Pine as main sensor won the prestigious Israel’s National Defense Award in 2003.

 

Constantly vigilant and ready, Green Pine radars have seen extensive action over the past two decades. Positioned in key locations worldwide, Green Pine radars have seen and recorded activities involving ballistic missile threats throughout the world.

 

“Green Pine can operate in various configurations” added, “It was designed to operate autonomously, as a strategic early warning radar, or as part of a weapon system, providing threat detection, target acquisition and fire control functions to guide interceptors to defeat the targets. “All these functions take place simultaneously, without any interruption.”

 

The Green Pine employs an active electronically steered Array (AESA) that consists of thousands of transmit/receive (T/R) units laid up in a matrix of a very large scale. The radar detects and simultaneously tracks dozens of Tactical Ballistic Missiles (TBM) from long ranges, under all weather conditions and in a saturated electromagnetic environment. IAI/ELTA Systems developed and manufactures the entire system, from microwave components to the large electronic assemblies integrated by IAI/ELTA into this large radar system. The unique architecture developed by IAI/ELTA Systems enables the radar to continue operating even when some subsystems or elements are malfunctioning, thus maintaining very high level of readiness. The same architecture enables ‘graceful degradation’ of performance, meaning the system would continue to operate effectively even after suffering significant hardware failure.

 

The radar detects all targets that appear in its search sector, including satellites, and discriminates and tracks TBMs, providing accurate estimation of launch and impact points of each track. The system also tracks targets that are not classified as threats, hence, do not trigger response from the Arrow interceptors. However, the Green Pine and its associated command and control systems are recording and analyzing those signals to gather critical information that could be utilized for classification, recognition, and maneuvering predictability.

 

Green Pine has evolved through the past 20 years to remain a strategic asset for Israel’s security. Offering unique early warning capability, Green Pine attracted much attention overseas, and was selected by several foreign nations for use in early warning and missile defense systems.

 

With conflicts simmering around the world, Green Pine sites, including those located in Israel and South Korea, have demonstrated their effectiveness in detecting and tracking a wide range of targets – including countless missiles fired during the six-year Syrian civil war (2011-2017), ballistic missile tests carried out by North Korea, missile attacks from Lebanon during the Second Lebanon War (2006), and rocket attacks from Gaza and Sinai during operations such as Pillar of Defense (2012) and Protective Edge (2014), each event involved tracking thousands of targets.

 

Being an integral and central part of the Arrow Weapon System, the Green Pine radars regularly participate in all Arrow ABM system tests. Most of these tests are conducted along the Israeli Mediterranean coast but some also took place in the USA, over the Western Pacific.

 

The reliable operation proven by extensive operational experience validated the Green Pine among the world’s leading strategic early warning assets. But, the developers at IAI/ELTA Systems do not rest on their laurels; through ‘spiral’ development they keep the system evolving to meet current and future threats. Hardware and software improvements introduced in operational systems are constantly tested and verified in the field. Major changes addressing evolving threats are implemented in new variants, like the more powerful Super Green Pine (ELM-2080S), designed to extend coverage and sensitivity to meet new, and future, even more challenging threats. Both systems share similar deployment infrastructures and integrated logistic support. This allows customers to optimally tailor anti-TBM solutions with a mix of Green Pine radar systems, according to specific operational requirements.

 

 

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IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries)
IAI는 항공, 우주, 해상, 육상, 사이버 및 국토 안보를 위해 최첨단 최신 체계를 개발 및 제조하는 데 전문성을 갖춘 이스라엘에서 가장 큰 규모의 항공우주 및 방위산업체 이며 전 세계적으로 인정 받고 있는 기술 및 혁신 주도 기업이다. IAI는 1953년 이래, 위성, 미사일, 무기 체계 및 군수품, 무인 및 로봇 체계, 레이더, C4ISR 등 최첨단 기술 솔루션을 전 세계 정부 및 민간 고객에게 제공하고 있다. IAI는 또한 상용 제트기와 항공기를 설계 및 제조하고 상용 항공기에 대한 분해 검사 및 정비를 수행하며 여객기를 급유 및 화물 수송기로 형상으로 개조하고 있다.