Lithuania strengthens Ukrainian air defence with Amber-1800 radars

Lithuanians will buy six Amber-1800 long-range aerial reconnaissance radars. The equipment will be handed over to Ukraine as part of the German IAAD (Immediate Action on Air Defence) initiative, which aims to strengthen Ukrainian air defence, reports Military Portal, citing the words of German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Air defence protection is one of Ukrainians' priorities in the context of the ongoing conflict with the Russian Federation. This is acknowledged by, among others, the USA, which intends to send another Patriot system to Kyiv. This valuable support will allow Ukrainians to counter virtually any aerial threat from Russia.

European countries also understand the importance of securing the skies over Ukraine, including Lithuania, which, according to Pistorius, is participating in the German IAAD initiative. Lithuania announced support for Ukraine with six Amber-1800 air observation radars. The German Defence Minister did not disclose specifics regarding the handover of this equipment, so the planned delivery date for the radars is unknown.

The Amber-1800 ground mobile radar stations are essentially a domestic design for Lithuanians, produced by LiTak-Tak company. Vilnius plans to buy and hand over six such complexes to Ukraine, allowing defenders to deploy the equipment in several key points and cover a large area with observation.

This radar's history dates back to 2014 when it was presented at the MSPO 2014 fair in Kielce. It operates in the VHF band and is intended for independent detection of aerial objects and their azimuth, as well as for determining specific coordinates.

The complex's antenna, consisting of two sections of 12 radiating elements each, automatically unfolds within 4-8 minutes. Once unfolded, it can rotate up to six revolutions per minute and conduct surveillance in the frequency band from 140 to 180 MHz with 200 kHz increments.

The detection range of the Amber-1800 radar is specified as 350 kilometres (optionally 500 kilometres). The observation accuracy (thanks to the presence of an 8 kW transmitter) is 270 metres with an error margin of 0.4 degrees. This will enable Ukrainians to observe all aerial objects within a range of several hundred miles and provide essential information for conducting attacks or defence to allied units.