www.radartutorial.eu www.radartutorial.eu Card Index of Radar Sets - Ancient Radars

P-37 “Bar Lock”

Description of the radar set, tactical-technical characteristics
P-37 in Elmenhorst
(click to enlarge: 640·480px = 48 kByte)

Figure 1: Bar Lock of Elmenhorst, in 1997 one of the last Russian radar sets operational in Germany

Specifications
frequency: five frequencies in the
sub-band 2 695 … 3 115 MHz
pulse repetition time (PRT): 2.6 and 1.3 ms
pulse repetition frequency (PRF): 375 and 750 pps
pulsewidth (τ): 1.2 µs
receiving time:
dead time:
peak power: 5 · 700 kW
average power: 5 · 700 W
instrumented range: 450 km
range resolution: 180 m
accuracy:
beamwidth:
hits per scan: > 8
antenna rotation: 3 or 6 rpm
MTBCF:
MTTR:

P-37 “Bar Lock”

The P-37 “Metch” (1RL139, Cyrillic: 1РЛ139 «Меч» = “Sword”, NATO designation: “Bar Lock”) is a transportable 2D radar for air surveillance, fighter guidance, and target assignment for air defense missile systems. The radar can be coupled with the PRW-11 and PRW-13 highfinder radars to measure the third spatial coordinate. The radar entered service in 1961.

On top of the antenna, the beacon, is the antenna of the secondary radar Siemens 1990 in version D1, a modification, which was introduced in the new German states only after 1991 and replaced the old Russian identification system (here: NRZ-20).

During its very long service life, several versions of the P-37 were built. These ranged from the early days with an additional trailer 8, which mainly contained the tube-based SBZ system, to the most modern station, the so-called 90-version, which had the entire reception path transistorized and equipped with circuits (up to medium integration rate).

Starting in 1990, the P-37s in Germany were upgraded to new safety standards and equipped with the new IFF/SIF D1/D9. From 1998 on, the last P-37s in Mecklenburg/ Western Pomerania were replaced by the RRP-117.

Picture gallery of P-37 „Bar Lock”

Figure 2: P-37 in original configuration, (in the background a height-finder PRW-9 and two antennas of radio link RL-30)