Russia Developing Advanced Radars, AI-enable System to Monitor Black Sea

Russia’s Scientific Research Institute for Long-Distance Radio Communications (NIIDAR), part of RTI Systems Group, has developed a radar that can cover the entire Black Sea, besides working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered information system to monitor the sea.

The development comes as Russian naval vessels continue to make strides in the Black Sea, seizing control of Ukraine’s coastline in a way that allows them to attack inland targets and tighten a blockade on Ukraine’s exports.

The director general of the company Yury Anoshko told TASS in an interview that the advanced Podsolnukh over-the-horizon radars may ensure coverage of the Black Sea zone, detecting vessels and aircraft in the area. “As far as radar stations are concerned, <…> Podsolnukh-type systems can cope with the task of covering our state’s waters… Presumed locations on the Black Sea coast have already been chosen, both in the Caucasus and the Crimea."

According to Anoshko, production may begin within six months after receiving instructions from the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Podsolnukh over-the-horizon surface-wave radar is deployed at a sea coast to detect maritime and aerial targets at the distance of no less than 400 km. The station can detect and track about 300 naval and 100 aerial targets simultaneously in automated mode.

Three Podsolnukh-type radars are already in service with the Russian Navy. They are positioned on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.

The same company is also working on a system with AI elements to monitor the Black Sea zone. “Along with the primary tasks of detecting hostile vessels and aircraft in the Black Sea, the need for extensive general monitoring of the situation in the entire region has now become relevant.”

He added, “At present, NIIDAR is developing a full-scale prototype of an information system that can cope with the task of monitoring the situation in the near and remote regions of the Black Sea…. It will allow monitoring the maritime situation in real time."

According to Anoshko, the system can receive data from various open sources, as well as from those with restricted access, process it in an automated more and create a picture of real-time situation in the designated area.

"With the help of machine-learning algorithms and elements of artificial intelligence, the system can spot deviations from the normal situation, detect and track potentially dangerous objects and automatically issue relevant notifications to the military," he said.