The S-125M Neva-M missile system was introduced into the JNA's armament in the early 1970s
It belongs to the second generation of surface-to-air missile systems
The 5B27U / D missile guidance system is semi-active radar, and the target kill zones at a distance are from 2.4 km to 25 km in arrival and up to 17 km in departure of the target
The height range of the Neva is from 20 m to 18 km, and with the Neva air defense system, it is also possible to destroy targets on the ground at distances from 3.5 km to 17 km.
The first significant modernization of the Neva was carried out in the mid-1980s according to the Soviet modification program...
and it was carried out, after the adoption of the technology, in the repair plant "Kosmos" from Banja Luka
Changes and improvements are reflected in the following:
Improving the combat capabilities of the system when shooting fast maneuvering targets in going through:
introduction of the K-6 command, which ensures the delay in activating the missile warhead lighter when a target is fired in departure...
....which performs a sudden anti-missile maneuver, just before the encounter with the missile
Improving the combat capabilities of the system when shooting low-flying targets through: -introduction of the MV-2 (low altitude 2) regime...
which provides tracking and shooting of targets when the missile system is located, for example, on a hill, and targets a target that flies at low altitude, following the terrain configuration
The target radar antennas are then at an angle of -30 angular minutes
introduction of RP-MV mode (manual tracking at low altitudes) Aiming radar antennas are fixed at 1 ° or -30 "per angle, and manual tracking operators move the antennas in azimuth...
...which ensures that the target is tracked at low altitudes and to avoid the appearance of reflections from the ground
introduction of RP-MV mode (manual tracking at low altitudes) Aiming radar antennas are fixed at 1 ° or -30 "per angle, and...
...manual tracking operators move the antennas in azimuth, which ensures that the target is tracked at low altitudes and to avoid the appearance of reflections from the ground
In 1984, two S-125M1A missile guidance stations were imported from the USSR. That was the "high end" as far as Neva was concerned
Unlike the older M1 stations, these already had the listed improvements as standard, as well as a new TV camera, and...
...a logarithmic amplifier built into the reception system, which serves to combat noise interference
In the middle of the eighties of the last century, a conceptual solution for further modernization was made...
...which would be done by installing a thermal imaging system and a laser rangefinder
In 1987, instead of a television system, a thermal imaging system was installed at one of the rocket guidance stations at the Cosmos Aviation Institute.
Tests have shown that the thermal camera used is very useful and provides tracking of the target up to a distance of 40 km...
...which is quite sufficient, given that the maximum oblique range of the system is 25 km
Marconi and Phillips cameras were used, and this modernization was offered to Libya and Egypt
During the war in 1999, thanks to the enthusiasm of members of the 250th Air Defense Missile Brigade, members of the Moma Stanojlovic Repair Institute...
, as well as some retired rocket launchers and technicians, in addition to repairing the affected missile guidance stations, CCD cameras were installed
These cameras provided the possibility of observation at dusk and dawn. It was not a serial modification either, and after the war, those cameras were removed
In the 450th Air Defense Missile Regiment from Kraljevo, a TV camera was installed in one of the divisions, which is otherwise used to secure facilities
Existing backup connections were used, and there was a classic TV in the cabin
In addition to better visibility, this enabled combat services to watch TV programs during long combat shifts
After the end of the war in 1999, conditions began to be created for the continuation of the modernization of the Neva missile system
The integration and testing of the laser rangefinder were performed in 2000, but now at the Nikinci test site in Serbia
In 2004, a complete modernization of one missile guidance station was carried out according to the VTI project, including the following:
-replacement of the television system with thermal imaging
-installation of a laser rangefinder
-installation of a logarithmic amplifier
-installation of a system for connecting the missile guidance station and the observation-acquisition radar P-18
The thermal imaging system enables observation, tracking and shooting of targets day and night, even in conditions when there is less cloudiness.
Previously, the TV system could only be used during the day in conditions of good visibility.
The laser rangefinder provides determination of the distance to the target without the use of a radar channel...
...which is important in case the enemy uses anti-radar homing missiles, or electronic interference
Using the P-18 radar coupling device, the antennas of the missile guidance station are directed to the selected target,
which can be seen on the panoramic radar indicator
This speeds up the search for and discovery of targets, and thus the reaction time of the system, which is important in anti-aircraft combat where seconds decide
All four improvements I have listed have already been installed in all Missile Guidance Stations, and one has undergone an additional modification that includes the following:
The data can be sent via modem connection to the air defense operations center, or to another user
In this way, P-12 and P18 radars can be imported into the Air Surveilance system
There are three TFT monitors in the cabin of the rocket guidance station. One central display shows data from the P-12 radar, and...
...the other two can be followed by data from the air defense operational center...
(summary picture of the air situation over the entire country and its immediate surroundings) or from one of the radars in the Air Surveilance system
Thanks to that, the radar can now be separated from the combat schedule of the missile division, which....
....reduces the possibility of precise enemy action throughout the entire system after the detection of radar radiation
The designation of the missile system was changed to S-125M1T after the modernization
The entire modernization project is the work of local experts. The thermal imaging camera and laser rangefinder are made in Israel.
The logarithmic amplifier was designed by "INFIZ", and the P-18 radar coupling system and the universal radar data extractor are domestically produced
The device for automatic monitoring by thermal imaging was designed by Serbian engineers, and is partly based on PC computer components
These modifications have raised the technological level of the missile system, which has reduced the generation difference compared to modern systems and increased the quality of fire control
