Duga-3 (western) transmitter

Coordinates: 51°18′19.06″N 30°03′57.35″E / 51.3052944°N 30.0659306°E

Duga-3 array outside Chernobyl. The array of pairs of cylindrical/conical cages on the right are the driven elements, fed at the facing points with a form of ladder line suspended from stand-off platforms at top right. A backplane reflector of small wires can just be seen left of center, most clearly at the bottom of the image.

Duga-3 ("duga" means "arc") or "Steel Yard" was a Soviet experimental over-the-horizon radar (OTH) system. It was developed for the Soviet ABM early-warning network. The system operated from 1976 to 1989.

Two Duga-3 stations were installed: a western system around Chernobyl and an eastern system in Siberia.

The transmitter for the western Duga-3 was located approximately 11 kilometers west-northwest of Chernobyl. The receiver was located about 50 km northeast of Chernobyl (just west of Chernihiv, south of Gomel).

References